A building partly dedicated to rentals on Airbnb was the target of vandals in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district, a few days after the announcement of the holding of a demonstration by opponents of this type of accommodation.
The Press reported on Saturday the case of the 26-unit building located at the corner of Ontario and Chambly streets, where three apartments are currently offered for short-term rental on online platforms.
The Entraide Logement Hochelaga-Maisonneuve committee announced that it was going to demonstrate in front of the building on March 6 to protest against rentals on Airbnb, while the housing crisis is hitting everywhere in Quebec.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
The owner of the building, Strawberry Properties, announced its intention to provide short-term tourist rentals in a lawsuit filed last August against the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and the City of Montreal, as well as during of the construction of the building.
Strawberry Properties is contesting the by-law which prohibits commercial tourist rentals in the borough.
For the three accommodations advertised on Airbnb by Strawberry Stays, three people obtained registration numbers from the Corporation de l’industrie tourisme du Québec (CITQ) by declaring that these were their primary residences.
Borough regulations do not prevent a person from renting their main residence for short periods in their absence, or from renting rooms in their main residence.