Montreal Implements Stricter Short-Term Rental Rules to Combat Housing Crisis
Starting Thursday, Montreal’s new regulations on short-term rentals in residential areas will be enforced. These rules, introduced in March, limit short-term rentals to the summer season from June 10 to Sept. 10, effectively shutting down services like Airbnb and Vrbo during the off-peak tourist period.
The move came in response to concerns raised by housing advocacy groups over the impact of short-term rental platforms on the availability of long-term rental units, especially amidst the city’s ongoing housing crisis. Additionally, the legislation aims to crack down on illegal listings following a tragic fire in an Old Montreal building in March 2023, which was found to have several unauthorized short-term rentals, resulting in the loss of seven lives.
Catherine Lussier, coordinator at the housing rights organization FRAPRU, praised the new regulations, emphasizing the potential for these measures to curb the diversion of housing units to short-term rental platforms and bring more properties back to the long-term rental market.
Applying penalties for non-compliance, city inspectors can now issue fines of $1,000 per day for initial offenses and $2,000 per day for repeat violations of the rules. To legally rent out their primary residences during the designated summer period, individuals must obtain a $300 permit and register with the CITQ.
Lussier highlighted that the prohibition on short-term rentals outside of the summer months would streamline enforcement efforts, reducing the burden on inspectors who previously had to verify registrations and property statuses.
While Airbnb had criticized the regulations earlier, warning about potential negative impacts on Montreal’s tourism sector, local stakeholders like Lussier believe that the new rules are necessary to address the housing challenges faced by the city.
