Landlords seek ban on Airbnb
John Tenpenny
Other
An ongoing saga continues to make headlines as a group of landlords in Quebec ask the government to curb the growth of short-term rental services such as Airbnb.
The Association des propriétaires d’appartements du Grand Montréal is asking the provincial government to amend the Civil Code and make it illegal to sublet an apartment or condo for less than a month.
Christian Perron, president of the 500-member, told the Montreal Gazette that the measure is needed to keep apartment buildings peaceful for other tenants and insurance affordable for landlords, who risk having claims denied or premiums hiked if the building is being used commercially without the insurer’s knowledge.
Perron, who oversees 150 rental units, said he was called to an apartment recently that the tenant had rented for two weeks to parties unknown. They were disturbing other occupants.
The idea, say landlords, is to redirect short-term and “tourism” business back where it belongs – hotels.
With short-term rental services and the sharing economy not going away anytime soon, the issues of safety and liability fall on landlords.
Still, the Quebec government has served notice it intends to legalize and regulate home-sharing and rental services and collect taxes from them.
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