By adopting its by-law on short-term tourist accommodation, Montréal is seeking to increase the supply of housing within city limits by encouraging the return of many dwelling units to the rental market.

Overview of the by-law

The by-law provides for the following aspects:

• Extending the scope and regulation of tourist homes in all 19 boroughs.
• Limiting the authorized rental period of tourist accommodation establishments in principal residences from June 10 to September 10 each year. Outside of this period, it is prohibited to rent your principal residence on a short-term basis.
• Requiring documents that confirm the dwelling as your principal residence in order to issue an annual operating permit You must display this permit.

What is a principal residence?

A principal residence is defined as the place where a natural person habitually lives and centralizes his or her family and social activities, and whose address corresponds to the one he or she provides to most government departments and agencies, including tax authorities.

Tourist accommodation establishment in a principal residence

A tourist accommodation establishment in a principal residence is defined as the place where accommodation is offered, by means of a single reservation that does not include meals served on site, in the principal residence of the natural person who operates it to a person or a single group of persons reserving at the same time.

Who is affected?

• People who own a principal residence
• People who rent a principal residence

Application of the by-law

You may receive a statement of offence if you rent an establishment without a permit outside the permitted period. $1,000 ($2,000 for a corporation) for a first offence and $2,000 ($4,000 for a corporation) for any repeat offence.