Quebec's new rules for Airbnb come into force on Sept. 1

Are Airbnb hosts skirting new rules in Quebec? Airbnb announced stricter rules for hosts in Quebec, but it appears some might be already finding ways to get around them.

Certain elements of Quebec's Bill 25, aimed at combatting illegal tourist accommodations, will come into force on Sept. 1, with offending platforms facing up to $100,000 per illegal listing.

Sites like Airbnb will be prohibited from displaying listings that don't contain registration numbers and certificate expiration dates.

Registrations are issued by Quebec's tourism industry corporation (CITQ), the outfitter's federation (FPQ), or Camping Québec, depending on the type of establishment.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx issued a warning to digital companies like Airbnb: "Platforms that have 8,000, 10,000 or 12,000 listings online, rest assured that Revenu Québec, on Sept. 1, will be keeping an eye on you."

Bill 100, enacted in 2022, made registering short-term rentals compulsory. Still, it's widely flouted: in the spring, only 30 per cent of accommodation listings were legal in Quebec, according to Tourism Ministry.

In Montreal, the number of non-compliant accommodations is so high that two weeks ago, the city launched a squad to counter illegal tourist rentals.

In recent months, Airbnb has repeatedly claimed it's the government's responsibility to verify users comply with the rules.

But Proulx says the new rules will make hosting platforms accountable by requiring them to ensure everyone follows them.

"If a platform posts 1,000 illegal ads, then there will be 1,000 fines; that's the new rules of the game," she said.

Proulx stressed that Premier François Legault gave her a mandate to boost tourism revenues.

"I think the backbone of the tourism industry, that is, hotels, are going to be happy about [the new measures], and then they're going to be more than happy to welcome tourists to Quebec."

AIRBN REMAINS VAGUE ON INTENTIONS 

In an email exchange, The Canadian Press asked Airbnb on Thursday whether it planned to comply with the law as of Sept. 1.

Through its policy advisor Camille Boulais-Pretty, the company said it "continues to work towards the Sept. 1 deadline" and is "looking forward to working with the province in the coming months to implement a technological solution to comply with the law."

However, Airbnb added that "without access to government data to verify host information against official government records, platforms cannot reliably guarantee the validity of the host's registration number."

But Minister Proulx pointed out that "we've been warning Airbnb for several years of the sequence in which they'll have to operate in Quebec" and that the company has had ample time to develop a system to verify its customers' compliance.

The government also plans to introduce, in the coming months, "two technological solutions that will enable digital accommodation platforms to carry out the necessary verifications on an ongoing basis," in addition to establishing "a public register of tourist accommodation establishments," which should make it easier to verify the compliance of rental offers.

DESIGNATING A REPRESENTATIVE IN QUEBEC

In addition to requiring that digital platforms ensure the validity of registration numbers and the inclusion of certification expiry dates, the new legislation will also oblige digital accommodation platforms to designate a Quebec representative or face fines of up to $20,000.

Airbnb has been in the spotlight since last spring's fire at a heritage building in Old Montreal, where several units were illegally listed on the platform.

Search teams found seven bodies in the rubble of the building, which contained 22 people at the time of the fire.

 This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 18, 2023.