Why are Calgary’s furnished rentals cooling faster than Edmonton’s?

Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent fell 16.96% year-over-year in August 2026, nearly double Edmonton’s 8.80% decline, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton Rent Report. The gap traces largely to supply. Calgary’s purpose-built rental stock grew 11% in 2025, its fastest pace in decades, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), pushing vacancy higher and squeezing the extra amount landlords can charge for a furnished unit.

How the two cities compare right now

Per liv.rent’s August 2026 report, Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,576, down from $1,898 a year earlier. Edmonton’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,413 in August 2026, down from $1,549 the previous August. Both markets are cooling, but Calgary’s furnished segment is doing so at close to twice Edmonton’s pace, even though Calgary’s furnished rent remains the higher of the two in dollar terms.

The construction boom behind Calgary’s steeper drop

CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report found Calgary’s purpose-built rental supply expanded 11% that year, the fastest growth the city has recorded in decades, and that Calgary’s vacancy rate reached 5.0%, compared with 3.8% in Edmonton. CMHC noted the new supply was concentrated in higher-end units, the segment most likely to compete with furnished, move-in-ready listings. That overlap helps explain why the furnished premium, not just overall rent, is compressing faster in Calgary than in Edmonton.

What CMHC’s mid-year update says about where things are headed

In its 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, CMHC reported that asking rents declined in Calgary through the first half of 2026, while Edmonton and Montreal showed little change over the same stretch. CMHC also found that Calgary and Edmonton generally need higher vacancy rates than other major Canadian markets before rents stabilize, reflecting both cities’ history of wider rent swings.

How much have Calgary furnished rents actually dropped, and where in the city?

As of August 2026, Calgary’s average furnished one-bedroom rent was $1,576 a month, $111 more than an unfurnished one-bedroom in the city. That furnished premium has narrowed sharply, and the decline is not even across Calgary’s quadrants. Southeast Calgary was the only quadrant where furnished one-bedroom rents rose this month, up 3.24%, while Northeast Calgary posted the steepest monthly drop, down 7.76%, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Calgary and Edmonton Rent Report.

Calgary’s furnished rent picture by quadrant

Southwest Calgary shows the split within a single quadrant. Furnished one-bedroom rents there fell 5.96% this month to $1,590, while unfurnished one-bedrooms in the same quadrant rose 1.86% to $1,556. Two-bedroom units followed a similar pattern: furnished units were down 3.49% to $1,980, while unfurnished units were up 4.29% to $1,959. Across Calgary, Southwest remains the priciest quadrant for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,556, while Northeast is the most affordable at $1,320.

Edmonton’s steadier, more mixed sector trend

Edmonton’s furnished market moved in a mostly opposite direction this month, with gains in four of five reported sectors. Southeast Edmonton posted the largest furnished increase, up 5.38%, while West Edmonton was essentially flat, down just 0.04%, the only sector to register a decrease. Unfurnished one-bedroom rents rose in five of Edmonton’s six sectors, led by Northeast at 6.68%, with Southeast the lone exception, down 0.82%. Southwest remains Edmonton’s priciest sector for an unfurnished one-bedroom at $1,344, while West is the most affordable at $1,197.

Is Calgary’s furnished rental cooldown temporary, or a structural shift?

The evidence suggests Calgary’s furnished rental cooldown is more than a seasonal dip. Calgary’s purpose-built rental stock grew 11% in 2025, the fastest expansion CMHC has recorded for the city in decades, and CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update shows Calgary rents were still declining as of mid-2026, while Edmonton’s held comparatively steady.

Why new supply hits the furnished premium hardest

New purpose-built towers often arrive with modern finishes and amenity packages that can make an unfurnished unit feel nearly as move-in ready as a furnished one. CMHC found that Calgary’s 2025 supply growth was concentrated in exactly this kind of higher-end stock, the inventory most likely to compete with furnished, move-in-ready listings, which helps explain why the furnished premium, and not just the headline rent, is the metric moving fastest in Calgary.

Why Calgary and Edmonton do not move like Toronto or Vancouver

CMHC has found that Calgary and Edmonton generally need higher vacancy rates than other major Canadian markets before rents stabilize, reflecting both cities’ history of wider rent swings. That history is playing out unevenly this cycle: CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update names Edmonton, alongside Toronto, as one of only two major markets where tenant affordability improved in the first quarter of 2026, a result of slower rent growth paired with strong wage growth. Calgary has not shared that outcome so far.

What Alberta’s rental rules mean for furnished renters right now

Alberta has no legislated cap on how much a landlord can raise the rent, but the Residential Tenancies Act still limits when and how. A landlord cannot increase rent during a fixed term, and cannot raise it again until at least 365 days have passed since the start of the tenancy or the last increase, whichever is later. For a monthly periodic tenancy, the landlord must give at least three full tenancy months’ written notice, according to the Government of Alberta. These are Alberta rental laws specifically; renters and landlords elsewhere in Canada should check their own province’s rules.

Deposits, notice, and what happens if a landlord will not cooperate

A security deposit in Alberta cannot exceed one month’s rent, and landlords must place it in an interest-bearing trust account within two banking days. The prescribed interest rate is 0.0% for all of 2026, according to the Government of Alberta. After a tenant gives up possession of the unit, a landlord has 10 days to return the deposit balance with an itemized statement, or to provide an estimate of deductions and refund the unused portion; the tenant must then receive a final statement and any money owing within 30 days after the tenancy ends. If deductions still seem unfair, tenants can apply to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS). As of April 1, 2026, filing fees run $75 for claims of $7,500 or less and $150 for claims above that amount, with fee waivers available for eligible applicants.

Why a soft furnished market gives renters more room to negotiate

With Calgary’s furnished premium down to $111 a month, renters may have more room to negotiate, especially in quadrants like Northeast Calgary, where furnished rents fell hardest this month. Before signing, ask for a full furnishings list in the lease and document the unit’s move-in condition with photos. This is general information, not legal advice; anyone with a specific dispute should contact the RTDRS or a legal clinic directly.

What should Calgary landlords renting furnished units do differently in this market?

With Calgary’s furnished premium down to $111 a month, landlords who price a furnished unit at last year’s rate risk longer vacancies. CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update found that landlords in major markets are increasingly leaning on incentives, including free or discounted parking, gift cards, move-in credits, and in some cases cash bonuses, with these incentives intensifying over the six months leading into June 2026 and, in some cases, reaching several months of free rent.

Price against this month’s numbers, not last year’s

Northeast Calgary’s furnished one-bedroom rent fell 7.76% this month alone, the steepest of any quadrant, a sign that oversupplied submarkets need to be priced accordingly rather than held at a prior rate. In Southwest Calgary, the furnished premium has narrowed to $34 ($1,590 furnished versus $1,556 unfurnished), so landlords there should weigh whether the added revenue from furnishing a unit still covers the cost.

Use concessions that earn their cost

Rather than a broad rent cut, targeted incentives, such as a move-in credit, discounted parking, or a small utility allowance, may help attract a qualified tenant without permanently lowering the asking rent. Pair any concession with a complete, itemized furnishings list so both sides have a clear record.

Listing quality and screening matter more in a competitive market

In a market where renters have more choices, professional photos and a complete furnishings inventory help a listing convert faster. It is also worth reviewing how to write an attractive rental ad and how to screen tenants effectively, including using Trust Score, which gives landlords a credit summary and risk assessment, to evaluate an applicant before signing a lease.

Calgary versus Edmonton furnished rentals: a comparison for renters choosing between the two cities

Calgary’s furnished one-bedroom rent averaged $1,576 in August 2026, still higher than Edmonton’s $1,413, even though Calgary’s year-over-year decline of 16.96% is nearly double Edmonton’s 8.80%. The table below breaks down the key differences for renters weighing the two cities right now.

Renters focused on newer stock, deeper concessions, and the most negotiating room will find more of that in Calgary right now, particularly in Northeast and Southwest, where furnished rents have fallen the most this month. Renters focused on the lower absolute cost and a steadier market will find that in Edmonton, which CMHC named alongside Toronto as one of only two major Canadian markets where tenant affordability actually improved in the first quarter of 2026. Either way, both cities are covered every month in liv.rent’s rent reports, so renters can track the gap as it evolves.

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What did CMHC’s 2026 mid-year update actually say about Vancouver?

Vancouver’s asking rents have fallen year over year for 30 consecutive months, and B.C.’s housing ministry says the average rent is now about one-fifth below its September 2023 peak, citing Rentals.ca data in a June 8, 2026 statement. Days later, CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update confirmed the broader affordability shift: Vancouver’s asking-rent-to-income ratio is back to pre-pandemic levels, and CMHC found some of the most pronounced drops in that ratio in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Asking rent versus what existing tenants actually pay

CMHC tracks two different figures here. Asking rent is the price advertised on a vacant unit right now, the number that’s been falling. Average, or in-place, rent is what tenants already living somewhere pay, and CMHC’s update found that number kept climbing through the first quarter of 2026 across most major markets, largely because rent resets higher when a unit turns over to a new tenant. That gap is why the 30-month streak feels different depending on whether you’re apartment hunting or renewing.

liv.rent’s own numbers echo the asking-rent side of the story. Metro Vancouver’s average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom sat at $2,098 in August 2026, down 4.86% from a year earlier, a decline of $107, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report.

Does Vancouver’s rent decline affect you if you already have a lease?

If you already have a lease in British Columbia, the CMHC milestone doesn’t automatically change what you pay. Your rent can only rise as much as the province’s annual limit allows, currently 2.3% for 2026, no matter what’s happening to asking rents around you.

How the BC rent increase cap works

British Columbia’s Residential Tenancy Branch sets a maximum allowable rent increase every year under the Residential Tenancy Act. For 2026, that limit is 2.3%, down from 3.0% in 2025 and 3.5% in 2024, the second straight year it’s declined, according to the Residential Tenancy Branch’s rent increase rules. A landlord must give at least three full months’ written notice using the official Notice of Rent Increase form, RTB-7, and can only raise rent once every 12 months for tenancies covered under the Act. You can read more about how the B.C. rent increase cap works before your next renewal notice lands.

When the cap protects you, and when it doesn’t

The cap is a ceiling, not a guarantee. It stops a landlord from raising rent more than 2.3% without special approval, but it doesn’t require them to raise it at all, so it’s still worth raising current market conditions at renewal time. On the other side, a landlord can seek a bigger increase in specific circumstances, such as major capital repairs, through the Residential Tenancy Branch, though that approval isn’t automatic. If you’re unsure whether your tenancy is covered under the Residential Tenancy Act, the province’s rent increase page is the place to check.

Which Vancouver neighbourhoods and BC cities saw the biggest rent drops?

Zoom out to a national comparison and B.C. stands out. The province’s housing ministry said six B.C. cities were among Canada’s 15 largest year-over-year asking-rent decreases, in a June 8, 2026 statement citing Rentals.ca data.

Source: B.C. Ministry of Housing, June 8, 2026, citing Rentals.ca data.

liv.rent’s own tracking, published separately, shows the trend held through August: every one of the nine Metro Vancouver cities liv.rent tracks posted a lower unfurnished one-bedroom asking rent than a year earlier, with Richmond down the most at 8.46% and Langley down the least at 1.6%, an average decline of roughly 4.7% across the nine, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. Not every category moved the same way within that: Burnaby was the only city where every rental category, furnished and unfurnished alike, rose from July to August, while Coquitlam’s furnished and unfurnished rents moved in opposite directions over the same month. Despite the broader decline, four of Canada’s five most expensive cities to rent in were still in Metro Vancouver this August, alongside Burlington, Ontario.

Inside Vancouver, the neighbourhood spread is wide

City-wide averages hide a lot. Among Vancouver neighbourhoods with available data, West Point Grey and UBC was the most expensive for an unfurnished one-bedroom in August 2026 at $2,741 a month, while Sunset and Victoria Fraserview was the most affordable at $1,802, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. That’s a gap of nearly $1,000 within the same city, which is why neighbourhood-level data matters more than a single citywide number when you’re actually deciding where to look.

Beyond Vancouver, where else in BC rents are easing

Greater Victoria’s vacancy rate climbed to 3.3% in CMHC’s 2025 Rental Market Report, the highest level recorded there since 1999, and vacancy across B.C. communities with 10,000 or more residents rose on average from 1.9% to 3.5% over the same period. Renters comparing options across the region can browse current Vancouver rental listings on liv.rent, and check liv.rent’s renter’s guide for tips on messaging landlords and applying safely.

Why are Vancouver rents falling? Three forces behind the streak

CMHC points to two of the three forces behind the streak directly: a wave of new supply hitting the market at once, and softer demand tied to weaker population growth and higher unemployment. B.C.’s government credits a third factor, its short-term rental rules, with adding to the shift.

A supply wave from two directions

Rental apartment completions in early 2026 were tracking above the same period in 2025, and CMHC’s mid-year update notes that newly built condos that couldn’t find buyers in the ownership market are increasingly landing in the rental pool instead, adding competition on top of purpose-built supply. B.C.’s own numbers back this up: the province says 2025 rental housing starts were roughly triple the 2015 level, and that more than 26,000 purpose-built rental units were registered that year, compared with an average of about 2,500 registrations a year between 2007 and 2016.

Softer demand, and short-term rentals coming back online

B.C. says active short-term rental listings fell from roughly 28,000 to just over 23,000 after provincial restrictions took effect, which the province says returned thousands of homes to the long-term market. Landlords adjusting to shifting applicant pools can lean on liv.rent’s guide to how to screen tenants to vet renters efficiently as the market moves.

Who actually benefits from Vancouver’s renter’s market, and who doesn’t?

New-lease hunters have more leverage than they’ve had in years. Existing tenants are shielded by the cap but not by falling asking rents. Renters at the most affordable end of the market are seeing the least relief.

If you’re signing a new lease

CMHC reports some landlords are using stronger incentives to fill vacant units, including free or discounted parking, move-in credits, gift cards, cash bonuses, and in some cases several months of free rent. If you’re apartment hunting now, compare current asking rents and ask about any available incentives in writing before applying.

If you’re renewing an existing lease

Existing tenants don’t see that side of the market directly. CMHC’s update found that affordability worsened for many existing tenants across major cities in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, even as new-tenant affordability improved elsewhere, an effect CMHC ties largely to rents resetting higher at turnover rather than to the modest annual increases sitting tenants see under caps like B.C.’s. Bringing current asking-rent data to a renewal conversation is still worth doing, even without a guarantee your landlord will match it.

If you’re searching at the lower end of the market

CMHC also found that vacancy and turnover increased across most price tiers in Vancouver and Toronto, but the lowest-priced tier stayed persistently tight, evidence that new supply, concentrated in pricier units, isn’t filtering down to the most affordable end of the market fast enough to ease pressure there.

What does this mean for Vancouver landlords in the current market?

For landlords, the calculation has shifted in places. New, higher-priced units are taking longer to lease, and a prolonged vacancy at a below-market rate can offset the value of a rent increase from a reliable existing tenant.

Weigh vacancy cost against retention

CMHC’s update notes that newer, higher-priced rentals are taking longer to fill, with landlords responding through lower asking rents and stronger incentives. In a softer market like this one, it’s worth comparing the real cost of an extended vacancy against the value of keeping a tenant who already pays reliably, rather than assuming a higher asking rent will always win out.

The cap still applies if you want to raise rent further

For tenancies covered by the Residential Tenancy Act, the 2.3% limit applies to standard annual increases in 2026. A landlord who wants to raise rent above that limit needs either the tenant’s written agreement or approval from the Residential Tenancy Branch for an Additional Rent Increase for Expenses or an Additional Rent Increase for Capital Expenditures. For a fuller monthly read on how these numbers are moving city by city, liv.rent’s rent reports are updated regularly and worth checking before setting a renewal rate.

Will Vancouver rents keep falling, or is the bottom near?

CMHC expects rental demand to hold up through 2026, led by younger renters forming new households, even as population growth stays weak. But the same forces pushing rents down now could ease over the next couple of years, which is why the stabilization signs already showing up in monthly data are worth watching.

The supply pipeline could thin out

CMHC’s mid-year commentary notes that much of what’s under construction now is expected to reach the market over the next 12 to 18 months, primarily within the first 12, but also warns that a slowdown in condo starts and the difficulty developers face making new projects pencil out could eventually shrink the flow of new rental competition, particularly the condo units that have been landing in the rental pool by default.

Watch the month-over-month numbers, not just the year-over-year ones

That’s already showing up in liv.rent’s data. Metro Vancouver’s average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom rose 0.45% from July to August 2026, even as the year-over-year decline narrowed from 6.43% in July to 4.86% in August, according to liv.rent’s August 2026 Metro Vancouver Rent Report. CMHC also notes that Vancouver and Toronto typically stabilize at lower vacancy rates than cities like Calgary or Edmonton, so even modest swings in vacancy tend to move rents by more in these two markets. Whether the decline continues will come down to how asking rents, vacancy, and new supply move over the next few months, the factors CMHC flags as the real ones to watch.

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What are Montreal’s short-term rental rules in summer 2026?

As of summer 2026, Montreal allows tourist rentals of 31 days or fewer in a host’s principal residence only, and only between June 10 and September 10 each year, according to the City of Montreal. Outside that window, renting out a principal residence to tourists isn’t permitted, no matter what permits a host holds.

The summer window: June 10 to September 10

The window runs on a fixed calendar, not a running total of nights. A host can rent their principal residence more than once during those months, as long as each stay is 31 days or fewer, per the city’s current guidance on renting a principal residence to tourists. There’s no provision to bank unused summer days and use them later in the year, though that’s one of the things city hall is currently reconsidering (more on that below).

Principal residence only, and what it means for tenants

The rule is tied to where the host actually lives, not simply to ownership. A second property or an investment condo rented out full time doesn’t qualify. Under those same city rules, a tenant can’t sublet their unit as a short-term rental unless the lease allows it or the landlord gives written authorization first, and a landlord can’t list a tenant’s unit that way without that same consent.

Registration steps and what they cost in 2026

Getting set up legally means clearing two separate registrations. Quebec requires anyone offering a stay of 31 days or fewer for payment to register the property, and the province’s 2026 fee for a principal-residence tourist accommodation establishment is $54, according to the Government of Quebec. Montreal then requires its own municipal host permit, currently priced at $350 including taxes. Hosts are expected to complete both the provincial registration and the municipal permit process before advertising a qualifying principal residence on a booking platform.

Which Montreal boroughs restrict short-term rentals?

Three boroughs are excluded from the summer window entirely. Lachine, Saint-Laurent, and Saint-Léonard don’t allow a principal residence to be rented to tourists, even between June 10 and September 10, according to the City of Montreal.

What the restriction covers, and what it doesn’t

The restriction applies to principal-residence tourist rentals specifically, the type most hosts use. It doesn’t necessarily settle the question for every commercial or specially zoned tourist accommodation in those boroughs, which can fall under separate zoning rules. Anyone planning around short-term income in Lachine, Saint-Laurent, or Saint-Léonard should confirm zoning directly with the borough rather than assume the door is fully closed or fully open.

How to check the rules for your address

Rules can vary by street even within a permitted borough, since some zones limit or exclude tourist accommodation regardless of the citywide window. The most reliable way to confirm what applies to a specific address is to check directly with the City of Montreal or the property’s borough office. For more on rental rules across the province, see liv.rent’s Quebec rental law resources.

Did the rules actually increase long-term housing supply?

This is the least settled part of the story. The city, an independent academic study, an industry-commissioned report, and Canada’s national housing agency have each looked at some version of this question over the past year and a half, and they don’t all point the same direction.

What the city estimated when the rule passed

When Montreal adopted the bylaw in 2025, the city estimated the change could return roughly 2,000 units to the long-term rental market, according to CBC News reporting at the time. That figure was a projection made before the rule took effect, not a measured outcome, and it hasn’t been publicly updated since.

What an independent McGill study found

Some of the more substantial independent evidence comes from a McGill University study, highlighted in an August 12, 2026 university news release drawing on peer-reviewed research published in the journal Regional Studies. Looking at Canadian municipalities that restricted principal-residence short-term rentals between 2017 and 2022, researchers linked the restrictions to renters saving a combined $192.4 million a month by 2023. Rents in the 309 regulated neighbourhoods studied ran about $24 lower within a year of a restriction, climbing to $55 lower over time, while rents in nearby unregulated neighbourhoods fell by roughly $40, a pattern the researchers read as evidence that rental markets respond regionally rather than block by block. Montreal’s rules specifically were linked to lower rents in neighbouring Laval and Longueuil. The study is national in scope, so it doesn’t measure Montreal’s 2025 bylaw in isolation.

What an Airbnb-commissioned analysis found

The opposing view comes from an analysis by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, commissioned by Airbnb and published in March 2026. It argues Montreal’s rules haven’t meaningfully improved vacancy rates or long-term rents, and projects a shortfall of more than 26,000 accommodation nights, with over $19 million in economic activity at risk, during the 2026 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix and UCI World Cycling Championships. Because Airbnb commissioned the analysis, it’s best read as an industry perspective rather than an independent evaluation of Montreal’s housing outcomes.

What CMHC and liv.rent’s own numbers show

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s mid-year 2026 update, published June 9, found Montreal’s vacancies rose while tenant turnover fell across most rent quartiles, concentrated in buildings completed after 2020 and near post-secondary institutions. liv.rent’s own August 2026 Montreal Rent Report adds a first-party data point: the average asking rent for an unfurnished one-bedroom fell 5.2% year over year to $1,605, and nine of the ten neighbourhoods liv.rent tracks posted lower unfurnished one-bedroom rents than a year earlier, led by a 13.8% drop in Villeray-Parc-Extension. None of this proves the short-term rental rules caused the decline on their own. Montreal’s rental market has several forces moving through it at once, including a wave of new purpose-built supply, so the rules are best read as one plausible contributor among several, not the whole explanation.

What the summer window means for renters searching right now

Summer is the toughest season to compete with short-term listings

For renters, summer is when legal short-term rental activity can peak, since June 10 to September 10 is when qualifying principal-residence hosts can operate in most Montreal boroughs. That overlaps with the same months when many long-term leases turn over in Quebec, so renters searching in July can end up competing with furnished, short-stay inventory for units in the same buildings and neighbourhoods.

What happens after September 10

After September 10, a principal residence that qualified for summer hosting can no longer be rented to tourists for stays of 31 days or fewer, under the city’s summer window rules. That stays true until the following June 10. It’s possible some hosts shift toward longer stays or a long-term lease once the window closes, but there’s no published City of Montreal figure confirming how many units convert to long-term rental use each year.

The 31-day workaround, and where to look for a real lease

Quebec’s tourist-accommodation registration requirement applies to paid stays of 31 days or fewer. A lease of a month or longer generally falls outside that framework, though it’s still subject to ordinary lease, housing, and municipal rules, it just isn’t governed by the short-term rental regime. For renters who want a genuine long-term home rather than a month-to-month stopgap, checking the lease term, an ID-verified landlord, and a verified listing badge is a reasonable way to tell a real long-term rental from a short-stay listing dressed up as one. liv.rent’s Montreal listings and its guide to finding a long-term rental are built around exactly that kind of search.

What the rules mean for Montreal landlords and property owners

Who’s actually allowed to operate a short-term rental

In most Montreal boroughs, a host can only rent their own principal residence to tourists during the permitted summer window. A landlord generally can’t use a separate investment property as a short-term rental simply because they own it, since the rule is tied to the operator’s own principal residence, not to ownership alone. For an investor holding a Montreal condo purely as a rental property, the seasonal short-term option generally isn’t available at all, which pushes most investment-property owners toward long-term leasing by default.

Quebec’s 2026 rent-setting rules for long-term leases

For landlords leasing long term instead, Quebec’s Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) lists the 2026 base percentage applicable to rent at 3.1%, down from 4.5% in 2025. That figure isn’t an automatic increase every landlord can apply across the board; it’s one input into a building-specific calculation that also weighs costs, taxes, and capital work, and either side can bring a dispute to the TAL if they disagree with the result.

Weighing a summer rental income against a long-term tenant

The seasonal option is narrower than it might first look: roughly three months of potential tourist-rental income, two separate registration or permit costs, and competition from every other host doing the same thing in the same window. A long-term lease produces income across 12 months and falls under Quebec’s rent-setting framework rather than a fixed summer calendar. liv.rent’s guide to screening tenants and guide to writing an attractive rental ad are built for landlords choosing that route.

How Montreal compares with other Canadian cities

Toronto: principal residence plus an annual night cap

Toronto also restricts short-term rentals to an operator’s principal residence and requires city registration. The City of Toronto lists its 2026 renewal fee at $390. Rather than a seasonal window, Toronto caps whole-home short-term rentals at 180 nights a year, and its official operator guidance doesn’t describe anything resembling Montreal’s fixed calendar restriction.

British Columbia: a province-wide, not city-specific, framework

British Columbia takes a third approach. In many B.C. communities, the province’s principal-residence requirement limits short-term rentals to a host’s main home, plus in some cases one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property. Hosts in B.C. have also had to register with the provincial short-term rental registry to operate since May 1, 2025. Because the principal-residence requirement doesn’t apply the same way in every community, hosts and renters alike should check the current provincial list and local bylaws before relying on it.

Here’s how the three frameworks compare on the points renters and hosts ask about most:

Of the three, Montreal is the only one built around a fixed calendar window rather than a running total of nights or a straightforward principal-residence rule, though that’s the piece the city is now actively working to change.

What could change next

The city’s own plan to replace the summer window

This isn’t a fringe idea anymore. Soraya Martinez Ferrada campaigned on replacing the fixed June 10 to September 10 window with a flexible cap of up to 90 days a year that hosts could use anytime, according to CBC News coverage of the campaign, and her party, Ensemble Montréal, went on to win Montreal’s November 2025 municipal election. Since taking office, her administration has confirmed it’s moving ahead with that change: alongside the flexible 90-day allowance, the plan includes banning short-term rentals of commercial spaces and expanding the number of inspectors who enforce the rules.

Where things stand as of August 2026

The original June 10 to September 10 window remains the rule in effect. The changes weren’t ready in time for the 2026 Formula 1 Grand Prix in May, and the mayor’s office has said it intends to introduce a new bylaw this fall. Airbnb has been actively lobbying city hall to loosen the rules further, while Ericka Alneus, the city council’s opposition leader from Projet Montréal, has argued that more than 7,000 short-term rental units could return to Montreal’s long-term rental market if commercial short-term rentals are banned outright, a claim tied to her push for the administration to move faster and more clearly on the file.

What it could mean for long-term supply

The two rules under discussion pull in different directions. A year-round 90-day allowance would remove the predictable autumn conversion point renters currently see, since hosts could spread their nights across the calendar instead of clustering them in summer. A ban on commercial, non-principal-residence short-term

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