On May 13, 2022, Québec Ombudsman Marc-André Dowd sent a brief to the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, on the draft Tourist Accommodation Regulation.
Mr. Dowd considers that the draft regulation should be amended so that citizens acting in good do not run into problems. People who rent out accommodations to visitors do not always fully know what their obligations are. The problem stems from the fact that there is contradictory information on the Web. As a result, people who assume they are well informed might not fulfil certain mandatory requirements. They could end up unwittingly committing an offence and paying a fine.
The Québec Ombudsman feels that the necessary measures must be taken to prevent this kind of situation. As he sees it, accommodation platforms have a role to play in this. They must only display the accommodation offerings that contain a registration number.
The Québec Ombudsman made four recommendations aimed at correcting the problem and better informing accommodation owners about their obligations.
