Published at montrealgazette.com
Airbnb says it is working to meet the deadline to verify registration numbers.
Certain rules of Bill 25, aimed at combating illegal tourist accommodation in Quebec, will come into force on Sept. 1. Offending platforms could have to pay up to $100,000 per illegal ad.
As of Sept. 1, digital platforms like Airbnb will be prohibited from showing a listing that does not contain a registration number and expiration date linked to a certificate.
Registration certificates are issued by the Corporation de l’industrie touristique du Québec, the Fédération des pourvoiries du Québec or Camping Québec, depending on the type of establishment.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx issued a warning to digital companies like Airbnb: “Platforms that have 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 online ads, rest assured that Revenu Québec, on Sept. 1, will have an eye on you.”
The Tourist Accommidation Act, which came into force in 2022, made it mandatory to register accommodations for short-term rental, but it is widely flouted: in the spring, only 30 per cent of housing advertisements were legal in Quebec, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
In Montreal, the number of homeowners who do not comply with the rules is so high that the city launched a squad this month to counter illegal tourist accommodation establishments.
In recent months, Airbnb has often said that it was the government’s responsibility to verify the compliance of offers on accommodation rental sites.
But Proulx said the new rules will make the platforms accountable by obliging them to ensure the compliance of all their hosts, failing which they are exposed to fines of up to $100,000 per illegal ad.
Read the original article at https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/new-quebec-rules-on-short-term-rental-sites-take-effect-sept-1
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