Airbnb · Montreal · 2026 rules
Can you rent out your principal residence on Airbnb in Montreal, and where is a unit bought for short-term rental allowed? The city's rules, checked against its by-laws on October 19, 2026, the Quebec framework and the purchase price of a house or condo according to Centris.
Renting out your own principal residence short-term is allowed in Montreal, but with limits; buying a unit to rent it on Airbnb year-round (tourist residence) is possible only in specific zones. To buy, count on $755,000 for a house and $476,100 for a condo at the 2026 median price (Centris). Rules checked on October 19, 2026.
The short answer
Renting out your own principal residence short-term is allowed in Montreal, but with limits; buying a unit to rent it on Airbnb year-round (tourist residence) is possible only in specific zones. To buy, count on $755,000 for a house and $476,100 for a condo at the 2026 median price (Centris).
Renting out your principal residence in Montreal: allowed, with limits
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.
Buying to rent year-round in Montreal: only in some zones
A unit that is not your principal residence, rented by the night or the week all year, is a "tourist residence". The law does not protect it: the city decides through its zoning where it is allowed.
A dwelling that is not the principal residence (commercial tourist residence, year-round) requires a certificate of occupancy from the borough, available only in certain sectors. Examples named by the City: Ville-Marie, rue Sainte-Catherine between rue Saint-Mathieu and rue Atateken (sector M.9, minimum 150 m from another tourist residence); Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, rue Saint-Denis between Sherbrooke Est and Gilford and boulevard Saint-Laurent between Sherbrooke and Mont-Royal; Le Sud-Ouest, notably rue Notre-Dame Ouest and Griffintown (rue Peel, rue Wellington); Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges between Jean-Talon Ouest and Queen-Mary.
The by-law in Montreal
- By-law: By-law concerning tourist accommodation establishments (Ville de Montréal), adopted by the city council in March 2025 (resolution CM25 0318), followed by the boroughs' concordance by-laws (zoning).
- Municipal permit or certificate: Principal residence: annual operating permit from the City, analysis fee of $350 plus taxes ($300 in 2025), with provincial notice of assessment, ID, CITQ registration certificate and proof of ownership or lease; 2026 filing period over, next filing at the beginning of 2027. Commercial tourist residence: compliance notice and certificate of occupancy from the borough (e.g. Le Sud-Ouest: $338 for the compliance notice, $907 for the certificate of occupancy).
- Recent change: March 2025: switch to principal residence rentals limited to the summer (June 10 to September 10) with an annual permit. Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada (elected in November 2025) promised rentals of 90 days per year of your choice and a ban on commercial short-term rentals; as of October 15, 2026, the City's official page still indicates the June 10 to September 10 period (no adopted amending by-law found).
What buying costs in Montreal
- House (single-family): $755,000 at the 2026 median, from 2,240 sales, +62% since 2019.
- Condo: $476,100 at the 2026 median, from 13,225 sales, +40% since 2019.
| Year | House, median price | Sales | Condo, median price | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $380,000 | 3,593 | $285,000 | 11,104 |
| 2017 | $405,004 | 3,910 | $295,000 | 13,347 |
| 2018 | $434,700 | 3,823 | $310,000 | 14,205 |
| 2019 | $465,000 | 3,897 | $340,000 | 14,652 |
| 2020 | $536,500 | 3,974 | $387,000 | 14,317 |
| 2021 | $633,500 | 3,800 | $416,375 | 18,815 |
| 2022 | $652,000 | 3,010 | $444,000 | 16,959 |
| 2023 | $645,000 | 2,825 | $440,000 | 15,655 |
| 2024 | $675,000 | 3,256 | $460,000 | 16,617 |
| 2025 | $721,750 | 3,375 | $475,000 | 17,951 |
| 2026 (since January) | $755,000 | 2,240 | $476,100 | 13,225 |
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.
Before making an offer in Montreal
- The zone of the address, not the city. In Montreal as elsewhere, the rule changes from one zone to the next. Ask the planning department for the exact zone and the use grid, or for the zoning compliance notice, before the offer.
- The declaration of co-ownership. For a condo, read the clause on rentals and the building's destination: a syndicate can refuse, and must now consent at every renewal.
- The seller's certificate. If the seller already operates, ask for the registration certificate (class, expiry date, number of units), not just the number. It will not be transferred to you.
- The return without Airbnb. Price the property as if short-term rental became impossible tomorrow: it is the only assumption that does not depend on a by-law or a syndicate vote. Our five checks before buying to rent short-term set out the order.
Our other pages in Montreal:
Each page is built from actual Centris sales and listings, aggregates only.
Property taxes in Montreal:
The tax bill, increase and rate published by the city for 2026, the assessment roll year and the school tax, with sources.
What a condo garage is worth in Montreal:
Median price of condos with indoor parking versus all condos, year by year since 2016, and the share of sales with a garage.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do Airbnb in Montreal?
Yes for your principal residence, with limits specific to Montreal. For a unit bought to be rented year-round (tourist residence), only in specific zones.
Do you need a permit to rent on Airbnb in Montreal?
Principal residence: annual operating permit from the City, analysis fee of $350 plus taxes ($300 in 2025), with provincial notice of assessment, ID, CITQ registration certificate and proof of ownership or lease; 2026 filing period over, next filing at the beginning of 2027. Commercial tourist residence: compliance notice and certificate of occupancy from the borough (e.g. Le Sud-Ouest: $338 for the compliance notice, $907 for the certificate of occupancy). In every case, provincial registration ($54 or $156 a year) and the municipal zoning compliance document are mandatory.
Can you buy a condo to rent on Airbnb in Montreal?
Yes, if the zone allows it and if the declaration of co-ownership or the syndicate authorizes it. For a condo that is not your principal residence, the municipal tourist-residence rule also applies: only in specific zones.
What does a property cost in Montreal in 2026?
House (single-family): $755,000 at the 2026 median, from 2,240 sales, +62% since 2019. Condo: $476,100 at the 2026 median, from 13,225 sales, +40% since 2019.
All cities side by side: Airbnb in Quebec, the rules of 74 cities.
Sources
Municipal rules in Montreal checked on October 19, 2026:
- Exploiter une résidence de tourisme commerciale (official source, in French, mis à jour le 10 septembre 2026)
- Avis public, arrondissement de Verdun, projet de règlement modifiant le Règlement de zonage (1700) (official source, in French, 2025-04-10)
- Montréal instaure de nouvelles règles sur la location à court terme (press, in French, 2025-06-02)
- Louer sa résidence principale à des touristes (other source, in French, consulté 2026-10-19)
Quebec framework:
- Tourist Accommodation Act (CQLR, c. H-1.01), ss. 5, 23 and 52 (LégisQuébec, current to August 12, 2026)
- Tourist Accommodation Regulation (H-1.01, r. 1) (LégisQuébec, current to July 1, 2026)
- Registering a tourist accommodation establishment (in French) (Québec.ca, updated September 24, 2026)
Prices: Centris (Matrix), Statistics module, query of September 16, 2026 for all of Montreal, Single-family and Condominium categories, median sale price and number of sales per year; 2026 since January; years with fewer than 10 sales left blank; compiled by the Loaa & Manseur team, aggregates only. This page informs: it is neither legal nor tax advice, and a by-law can change after the date it was checked.
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.