MONTREAL — Quebec’s Airbnb regulation law came into effect on April 15 and its effects are being felt throughout the market and industry.
The new law requires hotel and bed-and-breakfast certification for those who rent out their property through the Airbnb service. As a result, a 3.5 per cent lodging tax is now in effect, just as it is for all other provincial hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. Since the law came into effect, certification requests have more than doubled.
However, an Airbnb representative stated the Quebec model will not be the only or universal model for all regions offering Airbnb lodgings. “What works for one community may not work for another,” says Chip Conley, Airbnb global head of strategy and hospitality. “The question I think people have is how is it properly regulated in a way that makes sense for local communities and that may be different in Vancouver than it may be in Toronto.”
He also says there should be a clearer understanding between property managers who rent out properties on a regular basis and home owners who only rent out their property a few times a year. But Conley implied regulation is a good thing for the company. “To be regulated is to be accepted,” he says.
Violators of the new law can face fines between $500 and $50,000.
