Quebec launches public registry to crack down on illegal short-term rentals

FILE - The login page for Airbnb's iPhone app is seen in front of a computer displaying Airbnb's website on May 8, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

The Quebec government has launched the last component of Law 25 which aims to fight illegal short-term vacation rentals in the province.

As part of the law, An Act to fight illegal tourist accommodation, which came into effect in September 2023, a new public registry is now available to check whether a short-term rental is registered with the province and that these registrations are valid.

“The registry provides quick and transparent access to key information on tourist accommodation establishments, such as the category, registration number, issuing and expiry dates and status of the registration certificate, as well as the establishment's address,” the ministry of Tourism said in a press release.

Users can now search by registration number, postal code, city, tourism region or category of establishment.

However, Airbnb which does not display the exact address of each listing until a reservation is confirmed, told CTV News in a statement that a public registry that includes hosts addresses could put them and guests’ “safety at risk.”

“Our same concerns apply to public registries that require posting a host’s personal information such as their listing address.”

The law puts the onus on platforms like Airbnb to ensure that listings must be compliant or face fines of up $100,000 per illegal listing.

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

Initially, the province made registering short-term rentals a requirement in 2021, but without appropriate oversight, hosts were able to circumvent it by using fake or recycled registration.

“A rigorous analysis by the Ministry of Tourism revealed a 90 per cent compliance rate with the Tourist Accommodation Act in January and February 2024 for offers disseminated on digital platforms, compared with nearly 58 per cent in August 2023,” the ministry said.

Airbnb has been in the spotlight since a 2023 fire ravaged 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

With files from The Canadian Press.