MontréalS Short-Term Rental Market Remains Robust Despite New regulations
Montréal, QC – Despite recently implemented restrictions aimed at curbing teh proliferation of short-term rentals, a important number of properties continue to be listed on Airbnb in Montréal, including in areas where they are prohibited, according to a Seven Days investigation. The city’s new rules, intended to address housing shortages and preserve residential neighborhoods, appear to be facing enforcement challenges.
University of Vermont senior Ellyn Drysdale, 20, recently found that roughly half of her previously saved Montréal Airbnb options had disappeared while booking a weekend trip. Though, she was still able to secure accommodation in Little Portugal for $250 for two nights. Drysdale,like many students she knows,consistently chooses Airbnb for her annual spring trips to Montréal.
Montréal’s regulations regarding short-term rentals vary across its 19 boroughs, with many residential areas enacting outright bans. Restrictions are often limited to commercial zones and designated streets, allowing owners to offer non-primary residences for short-term bookings year-round.
Yaya Baumann, a doctoral candidate in geography at the Université de Montréal, tracks Airbnb listings and their compliance with city regulations through his website, À Bas airbnb (“down with Airbnb”). He reports approximately 8,900 properties currently available on Airbnb in Montréal, a 10 percent decrease from the same period last year. Baumann estimates that over 500 of these listings are operating illegally. He advocates for a complete ban on short-term rentals within the city.
“Every regulation that is passed, there will always be ways to work around it,” Baumann stated.
The investigation found listings in prohibited areas, including Little Italy in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough and Tétreaultville in the Mercier-Hochelaga-maisonneuve borough. One Airbnb host, identified as Louis, currently lists dozens of Montréal properties and claimed to be “in full compliance with the new law, and our permit is grandfathered” when contacted by Seven Days.
Concerns over enforcement are mounting, with tenants-rights activists pointing to a shortage of inspectors. While city officials pledged to increase the inspector count, Montréal currently has only seven inspectors, supported by two staff members, according to city spokesperson Camille Bégin.
Airbnb spokesperson Sachin Persaud declined an interview, stating via email that the company is ”unable to disclose” listing numbers but encourages hosts to adhere to Montréal’s regulations.
