Short-term rental in Quebec · 2026 rules
Renting by the night in Quebec is not a free activity. It is a registered establishment, with a class, a certificate, mandatory insurance, advertising obligations, and fines reaching $100,000. Here are the rules, section by section.
The numbers to remember
- 31 days: the maximum stay that places a rental under the Tourist Accommodation Act.
- $54, $131, $156: the registration and annual renewal fees by class.
- $2,000,000: the minimum civil liability insurance per claim.
- 60 days: the window before the end of a registration to file the renewal application.
- $2,500 to $25,000: the fine for an individual operating without registration, doubled on a second offence.
- 90 days: below that, the CRA calls it a short-term rental, and denies the deductions if it is non-compliant.
What changed in 2026
- 9 April 2026: the registration number must be clearly indicated in all advertising and on social media; the certificate must be displayed at the main entrance.
- 1 September 2026: two proofs of principal residence are required, and the consent of the owner or the syndicate of co-owners is needed at every annual renewal.
The principle behind all of it
The Act is not trying to prohibit. It is trying to make every unit identifiable. The registration number in the listing, the expiry date sent to the platform, the certificate at the entrance: three ways of tying an online offering to a real address and a responsible person. That is also why the platforms themselves face fines of up to $100,000.
Every page in this guide
- Airbnb in Quebec: what changed on September 1, 2026
- The registration number must appear everywhere, and the platform must verify it
- Airbnb in a Quebec condo: without the syndicate, there is no registration
- Quebec short-term rental fines run from $500 to $100,000
- Principal residence or general establishment: the class decides everything
- Buying to rent short-term: the five checks, in order
Where this lands: before the offer
Short-term rental is the one residential use that depends at once on a provincial statute, a municipal by-law, a declaration of co-ownership and two tax administrations. Any one of those layers can make the plan impossible or unprofitable on its own.
That is why we check all four before a client makes an offer on a property bought to rent by the night. A yield presented on nightly rates, without the zoning, the declaration and the registration, is not a yield. It is an assumption.
Three habits
- Check the address, not the city. Rules change from zone to zone inside one municipality.
- Ask for the registration certificate, not the number. The certificate carries the expiry date, the class and the number of units.
- Remember the registration cannot be transferred. The seller's income was earned under their file, not yours.
Sources, consulted 13 September 2026: the Tourist Accommodation Act (CQLR, chapter H-1.01) and the Tourist Accommodation Regulation (chapter H-1.01, r. 1) on legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca, consolidated text current to 15 April 2026; announcements by the Quebec Department of Tourism published on quebec.ca for the amendments of 9 April and 1 September 2026; Canada Revenue Agency guide T4036. This page informs; it is neither legal nor tax advice, and municipal rules vary from one address to the next.
Published by the Loaa & Manseur team, number one team at RE/MAX Platine in 2024 and 2025. Tell us about your project.