Airbnb, which was directly targeted by Bill 25, which overhauls tourist accommodation, declined to comment in a legislative speech before elected officials of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
The website, which specializes in short-term rentals, was to take part in special consultations in the morning surrounding the bill to “fight against illegal tourist accommodation”. However, early on Tuesday, their names were removed from the list.
Reason given: “Airbnb representatives declined invitation to participate in consultation” Duty A committee secretary was appointed to study the bill.
However, Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx’s Bill 25 directly attacks illegal rentals offered on online platforms like Airbnb. The American company, which advertises tens of thousands of accommodations in Quebec, has been in turmoil since it was revealed this spring that many of its ads did not comply with the law. During the meeting with Minister Proulx, his representatives refused to speak to the press.
Since last year, it has been mandatory for short-term rentals to obtain a registration number from the Quebec government. In March, Airbnb agreed to remove all apartments from its site that did not comply with this obligation. A census Duty However, for example, an ad with the fictitious registration number “123456” was revealed to be relatively easy to place online.
By filing a new bill earlier this month, Caroline Proulx wanted to force sites like Airbnb to confirm the legality of all the ads they serve. “It will be [leur] It’s work to verify all that,” he told a press conference.
Bill 25 mandates any short-term rental company to obtain a “certificate of registration” specifically stating its residential address and number of apartments and display it publicly. If accepted as such, digital accommodation platforms will be required to paint clear portraits of their rental stocks, which will be reviewed by the government.
The law comes before a fire killed seven people at a building that housed several illegal short-term rentals in Old Montreal.
More details to follow.
Watch the video
“Travel aficionado. Incurable bacon specialist. Tv evangelist. Wannabe internet enthusiast. Typical creator.”