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The best apartment rentals in Montreal? Read this first. Five reasons short-term rentals harm the city, and what to book instead.
Short-term rentals like Airbnb have done real damage to Montreal. Housing pulled from the long-term market, rents climbing, neighbourhoods hollowed out, illegal listings everywhere. The 2023 fire in Old Montreal, where seven people died in a building running illegal short-term rentals, made the cost impossible to ignore. We do not recommend Airbnb here. We recommend hotels. Here are five reasons why.
Housing crisis · Montreal
Every nightly rental is one less long-term apartment. Quebec's vacancy rate sits below 2 percent. Tens of thousands of units across the province have left the long-term housing stock for tourism. People cannot find a place to live because someone is making more money renting it by the night.
Rent inflation · Montreal
Researchers at McGill and INRS have linked short-term rental density to rent inflation in the Plateau, Mile End, and Centre-Sud. The neighbourhoods Airbnb concentrates in are the same ones where rent has climbed the fastest. Tourists outbid residents for the same units.
Bill 67 · Montreal
Bill 67 made registration mandatory after the 2023 Old Montreal fire that killed seven people in a building running illegal short-term rentals. Inspections show a majority of listings still violate the rules. Booking an unregistered unit means betting your safety on a host who did not bother to register.
Community · Montreal
Buildings full of nightly turnovers do not have neighbours. Nobody knows who lives next door, nobody watches the kids in the alley, nobody waters the plants when you are away. Quiet streets in Mile End and the Plateau have been replaced with party rentals and key lockboxes.
Local economy · Montreal
Hotels pay taxes, employ staff with benefits, follow safety codes, and contribute to the local economy. Airbnb revenue flows to shareholders elsewhere. Cleaning gigs replace hotel jobs at lower wages with fewer protections. The sharing economy stopped sharing a long time ago.
Hotels · Montreal
The hotels we list are licensed, taxed, and staffed by people who live here. They do not displace anyone. Apartment-style suites with kitchens exist if that is what you want. We list them under hotels.