TORONTO – Some apartment-renting Quebecers may be nervous in the wake of news that the province is cracking down on rentals like those advertised through sites like Airbnb. So why the sudden concern?
Airbnb is an online service that allows “hosts” to rent unoccupied living space like private rooms, entire apartments, and other short-term accommodations to visitors. The site claims it has more than 300,000 listings in more than 192 countries worldwide.
Tourisme Quebec spokesperson Suzanne Asselin said the goal was to ensure the safety of visitors to the province, but one Quebecer said Airbnb has made her feel even safer than hotels.
“I have stayed in registered bed and breakfasts and many hotels in countries all around the world and have actually felt much less safe in some of them than I have in Airbnb rentals, whether as a result of other guests, or the hotel staff,” she wrote in an email to Global News.
The Quebec resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been using Airbnb for two years both as a renter and a host. She travels at least one week each month in her event planning career, and has stayed at Airbnb spots in San Francisco, New York as well as four different locations in the U.K.
She said she reads all host or guest reviews, verifies user profiles and abides by the clearly defined payment terms, cancellation fees and house rules posted on the site.
“I like the fact that Airbnb is a word-of-mouth and review-based site – it builds an international community of travelers helping each other out,” she wrote.
Asselin noted that peer reviews are posted on any type of accommodation, and said 52 per cent of bed and breakfasts and 70 per cent of hotels appearing on Tourisme Québec’s official website have a link to their TripAdvisor traveller rating.
But the veteran Airbnb user pointed to the fact that a hotel review doesn’t include reviews on everyone who works there, while there’s typically only one host for personal apartment rentals.
“You don’t get to read reviews or check out the history on a bellman before choosing a hotel, so Airbnb actually makes me feel more secure,” she wrote. “Staying in or hanging out around a hotel can immediately flag you as a ‘tourist’ which in many cities can make you a target for theft.”
Asselin explained that according to Quebec law, owners of tourist establishments must have a classification certificate issued by Tourisme Quebec.
A tourist establishment is defined as “any establishment operated by a person who offers for rent to tourists, in return for payment, at least one accommodation unit for periods under 32 days” in an email to Global News.
The annual fee for a certificate in 2013 is $225 plus $4 per unit, and covers the classification visit, certificate and sign. It also allows you to be advertised on Tourisme Québec’s official website, according to Asselin.
So how does the classification certificate promote safety?
The official Tourisme-Quebec-appointed “classificator” visits the tourist establishment every two years.
And if you don’t have the classification certificate?
You’re liable for each day “or part of day during which the offence continues, to a fine of $750 to $2,250” as issued by the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP) du Québec.
SOUND OFF: Have you ever used a website like Airbnb to find a vacation rental? Tell us about your experience by emailing us at tips@globalnews.ca.
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