Following the violent fire in a heritage building in Old Montreal, the Montreal Fire Department confirmed that some Airbnb-type accommodation was there, while in this area it is illegal.
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More than 4,000 Airbnb-type accommodations have been listed in Old Montreal. Some even display a price of less than $100 per night, which can be attractive for tourists.
Since May 1, 2020, the Tourist Accommodation Act stipulates that “to rent accommodation for tourist purposes in Montreal for 31 days or less, a classification certificate issued by the Corporation de l’Industrie Touristique du Québec (CITQ) is necessary”.
Then, as of June 12, 2018, it is prohibited to rent accommodation for tourist purposes on “a section of 3.3 kilometers along Sainte-Catherine Street, except between Saint-Mathieu and Atateken streets”.
According to CORPIQ, it would be important for it to have inspectors to ensure that the rules on tourist accommodation are applied.
“The main problem is that the resources, both human and financial, allocated to compliance with the law on short-term accommodation are insufficient. For years, the industry and the players have been saying that it is important to strengthen and apply the laws, ”explains Marc-André Plante, spokesperson for CORPIQ.
Recall that Thursday a fire destroyed a heritage building in Old Montreal. Since then, at least seven people have been missing.