Airbnb Co-Host in Greater Montréal: Rules and Real Options

Montréal is one of the great weekend cities of North America, and its rules for short-term rentals are among the most structured in Québec. If you own property in or around the city and wonder what is possible, the honest answer is: it depends on the address, the type of home and the time of year.

Here is what the official pages say, as I read them in September 2026. I am a co-host, not a lawyer. By-laws change, boroughs differ, and the only opinion that counts is the one you get from your borough, the CITQ or a professional. Please confirm before you act.

Two layers: the province and the city

Every tourist rental in Québec sits under the provincial Tourist Accommodation Act. If you rent a unit to tourists for periods of 31 days or less, you need a registration number from the CITQ, which requires a notice of compliance signed by the municipality and proof of at least $2,000,000 in civil liability insurance (CITQ FAQ).

That municipal signature is where Montréal comes in. The city's page on short-term tourist accommodation puts it this way: "You must comply with municipal by-laws and the province's Tourist Accommodation Act." Both, not one or the other.

Renting your principal residence in Montréal

According to the city's page, Rent your principal residence to tourists:

• Rentals are allowed from June 10 to September 10. Outside that period, the city says short-term rental of a principal residence is prohibited.
• You need a host permit, renewed every year. The processing fee listed is $350 plus taxes, and part of the process happens in person at an Accès Montréal office.
• It is allowed in any borough except Lachine, Saint-Laurent and Saint-Léonard.
• The home must be your principal residence. Owners must live on site. Tenants need a lease that allows it or the landlord's written authorization.
• You rent to one person or one group under a single reservation, with no meals served.
• You still need the CITQ registration certificate.
• The permit is printed and displayed so that it is visible from the street.

The page also states that you may rent several times, to the same person or to different people, "for a maximum of 31 days during this period". The French version of the page words it as a total of 31 days or less within the window. If you were picturing a full summer of bookings, confirm that point with the city first. Renting a single room in your home follows the same rules as renting the whole place.

One practical detail: when I checked, the application period was closed, with a note that applications reopen in early 2027. For summer hosting in the city, the calendar starts in winter.

Renting a home that is not your principal residence

For a condo or apartment you own but do not live in, the city's wording is that offering rentals of 31 days or less throughout the year requires a certificate of occupancy, and that "this type of rental is only available in certain areas of Montréal."

The details are set borough by borough. The city's page on operating a commercial tourist home shows that several boroughs prohibit it entirely, while others allow it only on specific commercial streets. In Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, for example, the page lists a handful of authorized stretches along arteries such as Boulevard Décarie and Chemin Queen-Mary.

In plain terms: a year-round Airbnb in a residential Montréal neighbourhood is, in most cases, not an available option. Rentals of more than 31 days are a different regime, which the city refers to the Tribunal administratif du logement.

And remember that Greater Montréal is more than the City of Montréal. Laval, Longueuil, the independent cities on the island and the towns of the north and south shores each write their own by-laws. Same method everywhere: ask the urban planning department first.

Why many owners look beyond the island

None of this is a judgment of the rules. The city is clear about them, and they shape where a whole-home, year-round rental makes sense. It is a big reason why many Montréal owners who love hosting look to the country: a chalet in the Eastern Townships or another region, in a municipality and zone where tourist homes are a permitted use. The guests are often Montrealers themselves, leaving Friday after work for a fin de semaine of lake, ski or fall colours.

That path has its own homework. Zoning varies from one village to the next, so check it before you fall in love with the view. I walk through the steps in my Eastern Townships owner's guide.

What a co-host does, in the city or the country

A co-host helps you run your listing while you stay the owner and the decision-maker. On Airbnb it is an official role with permission levels you choose. I compare the models in co-host or property manager.

For a Montréal owner, the help tends to fall in three places.

A compliant, compelling listing. The registration number displayed properly, then photography, a title and a description that make someone stop scrolling. I shoot my own photos and write from a public relations background.

Distance. If your rental is 90 minutes from your condo, someone has to handle the cleaner who cancels and the furnace that quits on a Saturday night. I keep a vendor network of cleaners, handymen, HVAC technicians and landscapers, and I am based between Massachusetts and Québec.

Rhythm. Hands-on pricing around events and seasons, and replies within the hour. My Airbnb profile shows a 100% response rate.

A short summer season at your principal residence is often something an owner can run alone, and many do it very well. A year-round country home with groups of ten or twelve is where a partner earns her keep. If that is what you are building, let's talk.

Sources

• Ville de Montréal, short-term tourist accommodation (checked September 2026): https://montreal.ca/en/topics/short-term-tourist-accommodation
• Ville de Montréal, rent your principal residence to tourists (checked September 2026): https://montreal.ca/en/rent-your-principal-residence-to-tourists
• Ville de Montréal, operate a commercial tourist home (checked September 2026): https://montreal.ca/en/how-to/operate-commercial-tourist-home
• CITQ, cottages, condos and homes: https://citq.qc.ca/en/chalet.php
• CITQ, frequently asked questions: https://citq.qc.ca/en/foireauxquestions.php