Valérie Plante called on tourists who were planning to visit Montreal from an Airbnb this spring or summer not to change their destination, four days after the announcement of a significant tightening of the criteria for posting on the platform.
The mayoress suggested to potential visitors to turn to hotels.
“I absolutely invite tourists to come to Montreal,” she said Wednesday at a press briefing. Do not change your plans, but you will have to quickly turn to legal hosting methods. »
“Hotels are always very available,” she added. There are plenty of types of accommodation in Montreal that are legal and can meet your needs. »
Last Friday, Airbnb announced that it would remove all illegal listings from its platform, potentially threatening thousands of users. Up to 92% of Montreal housing offered on the platform does not comply with the regulations, according to a count.
On Tuesday, however, a spokesperson for the company clarified that confirmed bookings would be honored.
The announcement was made in the wake of a building fire in Old Montreal in which seven people were killed. The 19th century building housed several accommodations offered on Airbnb.
