Airbnb in Quebec in 2026: the short-term rental rules of 74 cities, principal residence and tourist residence

Airbnb · 74 cities · 2026 rules

One page per city, same questions, official sources: can you rent out your principal residence short-term, where is a unit bought for Airbnb allowed, what permit the city requires, and what buying costs according to Centris. 22 tourist towns and 52 large cities and suburbs.

Of 74 cities checked on October 19, 2026, renting out a principal residence is allowed everywhere in 17, allowed with limits (periods, nights, certificate) in 14 and restricted to some zones in 24; we found no restriction in 19. A unit bought to be rented year-round (tourist residence) is allowed outside designated zones in only 1 city (Saint-Zotique, with a cap on days) and is limited to specific zones in 60. Sources: municipal by-laws, LégisQuébec, Centris (Matrix).

The short answer

There is no single Airbnb rule in Quebec: there is one per city, and often one per zone. Quebec law sets the framework (registration, principal residence, syndicate consent), but municipal zoning decides where you can rent short-term. Of the 74 cities we checked on October 19, 2026:

• Renting out your own principal residence: allowed everywhere in 17 cities, allowed with limits in 14, restricted to some zones in 24. In 19 cities, we found no published restriction.
• Buying a unit to rent it year-round (tourist residence): only in specific zones in 60 cities, prohibited in 2, allowed with a cap on days in 1; no published rule found in 11.

The paradox: tourist towns, where people dream of buying a cottage for Airbnb, are the most restrictive. 15 of the 22 tourist towns tracked restrict even the rental of a principal residence to some zones (Baie-Saint-Paul, Beaupré, Bromont, Eastman, La Malbaie, Lac-Beauport, Mont-Tremblant, Morin-Heights…). Several got there through dozens of by-laws adopted zone by zone in 2023 and 2024.

Tourist towns

Large cities and suburbs

"No municipal restriction found" does not mean "allowed without conditions": it means we found no published by-law limiting the rental of a principal residence. By default, the law protects it (s. 23), but registration still requires the city's compliance document. Prices: Centris (Matrix), 2026 median sale price since January; "n/a" = too few sales (fewer than 20 houses or 25 condos).

What separates the two cases

The principal residence is the home you live in, rented while you are away. The law protects it: a city can restrict it only through a zoning by-law submitted to residents. The tourist residence is a unit bought to be rented to tourists, where nobody lives. It has no protection: it is a commercial use the city places where it wants, and often taxes as a business. When people talk about "buying an Airbnb", it is almost always the second case, and it is the one most cities limit to a few zones.

Quebec's rules, the same everywhere

• Registration is mandatory. Renting a unit to tourists for 31 days or less requires registration with the Ministère du Tourisme and a certificate renewed every year: $54 for a principal residence establishment, $156 for a general tourist accommodation establishment (tourist residence). Since April 9, 2026, the number must appear in every listing, social media included.
• The city decides where. The registration application must include a document from the municipality confirming that the use complies with its zoning (Tourist Accommodation Act, s. 5). A notice of non-compliance prevents the application from being filed.
• The principal residence is protected, but not without limits. Since March 25, 2023, a municipal by-law can prohibit renting out a principal residence only through a zoning amendment adopted under an adapted referendum procedure (s. 23). Several cities have done it, zone by zone.
• Principal residence means where you actually live. It is the address you give to most government departments and bodies. Since September 1, 2026, two proofs of principal residence are required at registration and at renewal.
• In a condo, the syndicate signs every year. You need the declaration of co-ownership allowing the operation or the syndicate's authorization, and since September 1, 2026 that consent is required at every renewal, not only the first time.
• Registration does not transfer. A seller's Airbnb income was earned under their file. The buyer starts over, under the rules in force on the day of the application.

The detail, section by section: Quebec's 2026 short-term rental rules, what changed on September 1, 2026, Airbnb in a condo and the fines.

Method

For each city, on October 19, 2026 we looked for the rule in force on two questions (renting out a principal residence and the tourist residence), in this order of priority: the zoning by-law or conditional-use by-law, the city's page, public notices and council minutes, then the press as support. Each city page cites its sources, most of them in French. When nothing was found, we say so instead of assuming. Prices come from the Centris (Matrix) Statistics module, Single-family and Condominium categories. Aggregates only. This page informs: it is neither legal nor tax advice, and a municipal by-law can change after the date it was checked.

Quebec's rules, section by section:

• Buying to rent short-term: the five checks
• Principal residence or general establishment

Each guide cites the current Act and regulation.

Frequently asked questions

Can a city ban Airbnb?

For the tourist residence, yes: the city places it where it wants through its zoning. For the principal residence, only through a zoning amendment adopted under an adapted referendum procedure, in force since March 25, 2023: that is what Lévis, Magog, Lac-Beauport and Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges did, zone by zone.

Does Montreal still allow Airbnb?

Renting your principal residence to tourists is authorized only from June 10 to September 10; according to the City, you can rent it several times, to the same person or to different people, for a total of 31 days or less during this period. A municipal operating permit, to be obtained every year, is required. Permitted in all boroughs except Lachine, Saint-Laurent and Saint-Léonard. The dwelling must be the principal residence (the owner must live there; a tenant must have authorization in the lease or the owner's written authorization), only one booking at a time, no meals served.

My city is not on the list?

A broker from the team can check the rule for any address in Quebec before your offer: zone, use grid, declaration of co-ownership and the seller's certificate.

Also available in French: version française de ce guide.

Published September 7, 2026 by the Loaa & Manseur team, the number 1 team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025, 6th RE/MAX team in Quebec, 15th in Canada and in the global top 50 according to the official RE/MAX ranking. Tell us about your project.