A single number used for three listings, two main residences for the same person: it is still easy to circumvent the new provincial law which wants to limit short-term tourist rentals on Airbnb, noted The newspaper.
The newspaper found nine listings linked to permits registered for homes owned by Alexandre Gauvin or Vadim Kuzmenko since former tenants reported being shocked to see their previous homes on Airbnb.
Seven are non-compliant because they display a permit number already displayed on another ad.
Three display a permit number registered in the name of Mr. Kuzmenko at the Corporation de l’industrie tourisme du Québec (CITQ) in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
Two refer to a permit registered in the name of Mr. Gauvin in the same district.
One person, two main residences
In addition to a permit for a general tourist accommodation establishment, Mr. Kuzmenko also has two permits to rent out his primary residence, according to a list from the Tourism Ministry made public in March.
The first main residence is in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and the other, in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.
“The law is almost useless, it’s a real sieve,” denounces Cédric Dussault, from the Regroupement des comités logement et associations locataires du Québec (RCLAQ).
“Principal residences are a real joke, there is no one who checks if it is indeed a main residence,” he criticizes.
He notes that the number of listings on Airbnb has increased over the past year. Since last September, the provincial law is supposed to be more severe, requiring platforms to display a compliant permit number.
In August 2023, the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, even assured that Revenu Québec’s resources would be increased to clamp down on recalcitrants.
- Listen to the explanations of journalist Dominique Cambron-Goulet via OLD :
No register
In an email, Revenu Québec indicated that it receives more than 6,000 reports annually, each of which “is subject to rigorous analysis.”
The government agency would not confirm or deny whether an investigation process was underway for the addresses identified by The newspaper for confidentiality reasons.
He also says he does not hold the register of individuals’ main residences.
At the time of writing, the Ministry of Tourism had not responded to our requests.
Reached by telephone, Alexandre Gauvin declined to comment. Vadim Kuzmenko did not respond to our requests.
