New Law Restricting Short Term Condo Rentals in Montreal

[perfectgent813431]

Does anyone know what condos or what area of the city are affected by this new law. I come to Montreal every July for three weeks. I've rented at the Les Etoiles and the Bell Center Tower 1. I just tried to rent a condo at the Les Etoiles for next July. I asked the owner yesterday if his unit was affected by the new law. He said "no" because it was a rental building (which makes sense to me), but when I tried to complete the booking today he said that he was affected by the new law and couldn't let me book.

I don't see how they could police compliance at the Les Etoiles because there is no doorman. It's just coded access to the building. Did I scare the owner off by asking my question. Should I have said nothing and just booked. I just don't want my condo cancelled at the last minute.

I see other units available on other sites. Should I just go ahead and book and not worry.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Valcazar]

If I am remembering correctly, it is Ville Marie and the Plateau that are affected. It looks like a lot of regions are moving in this direction though and the province might get involved so the whole thing might be touch and go until January or later. I'd say book ahead. Put the burden on the landlord to deal with it. You aren't the person breaking the law, so worst case scenario you have to make backup arrangements. (And if the owner has a booking already they are going to do their best to find a way to still make it work and get their money.)

 

[jalimon]

For the Bell center tower it's the group of owners who recently impose a law on all condo owners to ban all rentals of less then 31 days.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The hotel industry is behind these laws. They want the competition coming from AirBnB stopped. Agents of the hotel industry have been implanted at the major condo developments in Montreal for a long time now, posing as agents/surveyors of the Montreal tourism industry, but their purpose is really just to serve as unsolicited rats to condo boards. I witnessed this first hand at Le Seville condos a few years back. Their long term agenda is finally being fulfilled. It's too bad you Canadians do not have antitrust laws like we do, which potentially could be used to foil this improper agenda of stopping competition.

The other ruse that is used is “Bureau of Census” - they will wear badges and IDs from the Census Bureau and this is a fraudulent cover by a hotel industry agent to ask you for private information about your residency or tenant status which can then be reported to a condo board. Oldest trick in the book, used many times including on me (I didn’t play ball), and that is why you have these laws.

 

[Cruiser777]

The hotel industry is behind these laws. They want the competition coming from AirBnB stopped.

Not entirely true.

Some of the condo situations are getting out of control, too much noise and too much partying so the owners are complaining
and changing the condo rules accordingly...nothing to do with hotel industry.

My building suppose to be NO AirBnd zone but people are still renting them out, if they are caught, they suppose to get ticketed and pay a fine,
one was ticketed very recently although I am not sure how the enforcing and the collecting works...

Now if we suspect the people with luggages and staff like that, fooling around in the lobby waiting for a room to be shown or whatever,
we try to take the Apt No so we can report it to the board.

Now indirectly the hotels will benefit from this but no collusion between condos and the hotel industry as far as I know. Owners
just want to chill out, relax, go to bed and sleep on their own term and not on some noisy or rowdy visitors.

 

[IamNY]

In NYC the condos typically have an owner occupancy rule. Let’s say it’s 70% of the units need to be owner occupied then 30% of the units can be rented. The way you fall into the 30% is by how long you’ve lived in the condo, availability, etc.

Curious, did the condos have similar rules established and everyone was ignoring it or Was there no rules existing and the new law was put in place to correct a problem?

 

[Like_It_Hot]

To help the discussion: http://en.condolegal.com/your-right...91-abiding-to-the-declaration-of-co-ownership

 

[2fast2slow]

im not aware of any 'new rules' for short term rentals in montreal. the rules that are in place have been around for about 4-5 years. looked in the news could not find anything about 'new rules'

 

[jalimon]

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvell...re-ville-montreal-regles-location-touristique

 

[Daiko]

I can totally understand. A lot of condo owners are suffering because their neighbors rent out their places frequently during the year to noisy and disrespectful visitors who don't care about the building. I would hate to be in this situation.

 

[jalimon]

Also Daiko hotel pay their due taxes on all their renting. They comply to security measure and insurance. Airbnb owner need to respect those rules as well to be fair.

Cheers,

 

[EagerBeaver]

A lot of condo owners are suffering because their neighbors rent out their places frequently during the year to noisy and disrespectful visitors who don't care about the building. I would hate to be in this situation.

A lot of condo owners are investors who bought knowing they would need to rent the property. Given the number of new condo developments in Montreal and the level of foreign investment in those properties, what will happen when the owners can't rent out their units? Will their lenders give them a pass and tell them they can pay their mortgages whenever they are able to, once they find a long term tenant?

 

[Cruiser777]

A lot of condo owners are investors who bought knowing they would need to rent the property. Given the number of new condo developments in Montreal and the level of foreign investment in those properties, what will happen when the owners can't rent out their units? Will their lenders give them a pass and tell them they can pay their mortgages whenever they are able to, once they find a long term tenant?

The problem is not regular renting, lots of buildings are rented (Especially downtown near universities, full of student rentals)
on a long term lease basis, it is the renters "Home" and most of these renters behave as they should.

The problem is the Airbnb style renting, where people come and go, heavy traffic and and lots of partying and noises
at the wrong hours of the day.

 

[Halloween Mike]

I am not too familiar with the concept of airbnb exept what i read here during the years but i know i wouldn't like to see "new faces" around where i live act like they own the place and throw parties and just don'T care.

I had a bad neighbor at my old place wich was throwing parties, receiving friends and i suspect selling drugs too and i hated it, traffics all the time, shady peoples coming near my door. Sometimes sitting on the stairs of my balcony...

Ill admit im old school and the whole born and raise in a small town play a factor but still...

 

[Daiko]

EagerBeaver, if people speculate to profit from a new disruptive industry by renting condos to frequent, short term guests, they accept the risk that this industry may someday be more regulated due to widespread problems. They may make good money now but it may also not last forever. That's the risk of speculation.

 

[cpp433]

Airbnb should do what car rentals do, no one under age 25, that will take care of 95% of the problems