Quebec bans evictions for short-term rentals

Summary#

This bill changes Quebec’s Civil Code to stop landlords from evicting tenants so they can turn an apartment into a short‑term tourist rental. The goal is to protect renters and keep more homes available for people who live in Quebec.

• Bans evictions when the landlord’s purpose is to switch a home to short‑term tourist use (like short stays booked on apps).
• Keeps other legal reasons for ending a lease unchanged.
• Applies across Quebec to residential rentals.
• Takes effect on the date it is signed into law.

What it means for you#

• Tenants

  • You cannot be evicted just so your apartment can be turned into a short‑term tourist rental.
  • If you get an eviction notice for that reason, it would not be valid.
  • This could mean more stability and fewer surprise moves.

• Landlords

  • You cannot end a lease in order to convert a rented home into short‑term tourist lodging.
  • Other lawful reasons to end a lease are not changed by this bill.
  • You may still change the use of a unit for other purposes allowed by law, but not for short‑term tourist stays.

• Neighbors and communities

  • Fewer apartments may switch to short‑term tourist use, which can mean less turnover in the building.
  • This may help keep more homes available for residents.

• Visitors and short‑stay hosts

  • There may be fewer short‑term tourist listings in regular apartment buildings.
  • Hosts who rely on converting long‑term rentals to short‑term stays would face new limits.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Protects renters from losing their homes to short‑term tourist use.
• Helps keep more apartments in the long‑term housing market during a housing shortage.
• Reduces pressure on rents by limiting the removal of units from residential use.
• Supports neighborhood stability by cutting down on rapid tenant turnover and tourist traffic in residential buildings.

Opponents' View#

• Limits owners’ freedom to choose how to use their property.
• Could reduce income opportunities for some small landlords and hosts.
• May have side effects on tourism if fewer short‑term options are available in some areas.
• Enforcement and defining what counts as “short‑term tourist” use could be challenging in practice.