Airbnb · Saguenay · 2026 rules
Can you rent out your principal residence on Airbnb in Saguenay, 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 everywhere in Saguenay; buying a unit to rent it on Airbnb year-round (tourist residence) is possible only in specific zones. To buy, count on $366,000 for a house and $287,000 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 everywhere in Saguenay; buying a unit to rent it on Airbnb year-round (tourist residence) is possible only in specific zones. To buy, count on $366,000 for a house and $287,000 for a condo at the 2026 median price (Centris).
Renting out your principal residence in Saguenay: allowed everywhere in the city
According to the City's technical sheet (issued June 29, 2026), tourist accommodation in a principal residence is authorized throughout the territory of Saguenay, in a single room or in the entire dwelling, one group of travellers at a time, with a municipal compliance attestation (notice); the applicant must live in the house permanently and a tenant must provide the owner's authorization. No municipal period or limit on nights.
Buying to rent year-round in Saguenay: 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.
Commercial tourist accommodation establishments in a dwelling other than the principal residence are authorized only where the use and standards grid specifies it: housing zones H1 detached single-family, H9 rural housing (1 dwelling), H10 resort (villégiature), and H2 two-family, H3 three-family, H4 multi-family of 4 dwellings, detached, in the downtown area only; predominantly CS zones for a dwelling in a commercial or service building in the downtown areas (4 dwellings maximum); and certain zones by conditional use (by-law VS-RU-2012-77).
The by-law in Saguenay
- By-law: Zoning By-law VS-R-2012-3, chapter 5, section 12 (art. 424.1 to 424.6); conditional use by-law VS-RU-2012-77.
- Municipal permit or certificate: Principal residence: compliance attestation (notice), CITQ form sent through Info-Permis or to permis@ville.saguenay.qc.ca. Commercial tourist residence: City construction permit required, compliance notice, owner's authorization, sometimes an application for a conditional use; 1 parking space for the first 2 rooms, then 1 per additional room, 2 people maximum per room; commercial taxation and additional fees on the portion occupied by the tourist residence.
- Recent change: Technical sheet no. 25 reissued June 29, 2026 (no specific regulatory amendment identified).
What buying costs in Saguenay
- House (single-family): $366,000 at the 2026 median, from 771 sales, +104% since 2019.
- Condo: $287,000 at the 2026 median, from 99 sales, +97% since 2019.
| Year | House, median price | Sales | Condo, median price | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $170,750 | 798 | $152,000 | 61 |
| 2017 | $175,000 | 771 | $152,500 | 69 |
| 2018 | $175,000 | 862 | $157,000 | 88 |
| 2019 | $179,700 | 997 | $146,000 | 93 |
| 2020 | $190,000 | 1,067 | $160,000 | 127 |
| 2021 | $215,000 | 1,053 | $165,500 | 160 |
| 2022 | $243,000 | 848 | $195,750 | 146 |
| 2023 | $260,000 | 832 | $220,000 | 92 |
| 2024 | $295,000 | 919 | $242,000 | 130 |
| 2025 | $339,000 | 1,036 | $266,600 | 109 |
| 2026 (since January) | $366,000 | 771 | $287,000 | 99 |
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 Saguenay
- The zone of the address, not the city. In Saguenay 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 Saguenay:
Each page is built from actual Centris sales and listings, aggregates only.
Property taxes in Saguenay:
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 Saguenay:
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 Saguenay?
Yes for your principal residence: the city allows it across its territory. 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 Saguenay?
Principal residence: compliance attestation (notice), CITQ form sent through Info-Permis or to permis@ville.saguenay.qc.ca. Commercial tourist residence: City construction permit required, compliance notice, owner's authorization, sometimes an application for a conditional use; 1 parking space for the first 2 rooms, then 1 per additional room, 2 people maximum per room; commercial taxation and additional fees on the portion occupied by the tourist residence. 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 Saguenay?
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 Saguenay in 2026?
House (single-family): $366,000 at the 2026 median, from 771 sales, +104% since 2019. Condo: $287,000 at the 2026 median, from 99 sales, +97% since 2019.
All cities side by side: Airbnb in Quebec, the rules of 74 cities.
Sources
Municipal rules in Saguenay checked on October 19, 2026:
- Fiche technique 25, Résidence de tourisme (official source, in French, 2026-06-29)
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 Saguenay, 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.