Media Release - Greater Napanee Council Adopts New Rooming House and Group Home By-laws

January 16, 2026

(GREATER NAPANEE, ON) – In an effort to improve community safety, Greater Napanee Council has adopted two new by-laws to license Rooming Houses and Group Homes.

The Rooming House By-law requires owners of Rooming Houses to have annual inspections completed by the Town’s Fire Department and Property Standards inspectors as part of the licensing system, to ensure the facilities are code compliant.  

The Group Home By-law allows the Town to maintain a registry of all group homes within Greater Napanee, which will allow the Town to update its emergency response planning to account for these facilities.  

Education and voluntary compliance are planned to occur throughout 2026, with the by-law being fully enforced beginning in 2027.  

“The creation of these two new by-laws will provide the Town of Greater Napanee an opportunity to regulate these types of facilities within our community,” said Mayor Richardson. “It will assist in making our community safer for those residing within those facilities, and the neighbourhoods they serve.”

A staff report with the draft by-laws was presented at a Council meeting on December 9, 2025, and is available online.  

A dedicated page to both new by-laws will be available on the Town’s website at a later date. 

Media Contact: 

Kylie Huffman  

Community Engagement & Communications Coordinator  

Town of Greater Napanee 

T: 613-776-1116 

E: khuffman@greaternapanee.com  

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