Starting Friday, the Quebec government will be able to take strict action against digital platforms such as Airbnb that allow advertisements for short-term rentals without a registration number or expiration date associated with a certificate issued by the province.

Law 25, which was passed last June, requires hosting platforms to ensure compliance among all their hosts; otherwise, they will face fines of up to $100,000 for each illegal listing.

It is also noted that, for several years, anyone offering tourist accommodations for 31 days or less must have a registration number from the Quebec tourism industry corporation (CITQ), or the Quebec federation, or Camping Quebec, depending on the type. They must also display it in any ad and on any website.

However, few people have complied with this requirement in the past.

Following the deadly fire in a rented unit on Airbnb in Old Montreal last spring, Quebec promised to tighten the screws on offenders, as well as on the platforms.

But according to the latest data from Inside Airbnb, it is clear that many listings are still non-compliant.

In July, in Montreal, there were 53 listings with the fake number 12345 or 15 listings with the number 0. Some hosts continue to use their phone number as their license number. There are also more than a hundred listings in Montreal with licenses from entities outside the city, which conflicts with Quebec regulations.

Recently, Airbnb warned Quebec that without access to government databases, it would be impossible for the company to verify whether the registration certificate issued in PDF format by the government and provided by the host is forged or altered.

The company regrets Quebec's refusal of the offered City Portal usage, which allows many cities around the world to manage compliance of listings themselves. Quebec has repeatedly responded that this responsibility falls on the platforms.

Airbnb also described the province’s certificate issuance system as outdated and completely flawed.

Similarly, Revenu Québec, which has been responsible for inspections related to listings on platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo since 2018, stated that it will double its inspection force for tourist accommodations. Thus, soon there will be about twenty additional resources in place.

In 2021, Revenu Québec indicated the addition of "25 additional resources," without disclosing the exact number of inspectors responsible for these interventions and controls.

In the spring already, the political pressures following the fire led Airbnb to tighten the rules for hosts in Quebec. Initially, Airbnb asked hosts to register their CITQ number from the Quebec tourism industry before posting the listing. But recently, they have begun requiring hosts to download a PDF certificate from the Quebec tourism industry, CITQ.

In addition to stricter provincial laws, more and more municipalities are adopting regulations governing short-term rentals.