Tourist lodging: Most tenants subletting without authorization

During this vacation season, many rental building owners are discovering that their tenants are subletting their apartment to tourists, namely through online platforms like Airbnb. Yet, based on CORPIQ survey results from June, most landlords have not authorized the practice.

Out of 1,400 landlord-respondents from the main regions of Quebec, 10% found out at least one of their tenants had sublet their apartment to tourists during the past 12 months. Two-thirds of those landlords had not given the tenant permission to do so.

You may remember that Bill 67, which regulates tourist accommodation, requires people who rent or sublet an apartment to tourists for 31 days or less to get certification from the Corporation de l’industrie touristique du Québec (CITQ).

For CORPIQ, it is essential that tenants be required to produce proof that their landlord gave them permission to sublet their apartment to tourists, according to lease section B. This requirement is not being followed, as we know there aren’t many people requesting the certification from the CITQ.