Short-Term Rental

In recent years, the Town of Brome Lake has been faced with a worldwide phenomenon, which has expanded thanks to digital applications and the sharing economy. Towns and villages that are tourist attractions are all experiencing this phenomenon and must face it and manage it well.

This new economic activity has advantages and disadvantages for municipalities, which is why it must be properly regulated to protect the rights of citizens. Short-term rentals are for stays of less than 31 days. Rentals of more than 31 days are regulated by the Tribunal administratif du logement.

Since March 25^th, 2023, it is allowed for principal residences throughout the territory. However, necessary permissions must be obtained from the Town (a certificate of authorization) and the Corporation de l’industrie touristique du Québec (CITQ), which requires registration for a primary residence.

A secondary residence is a residential dwelling that is not a principal residence. Short-term rental in a secondary residence is only allowed in the 17 zones (mostly commercial) of the town where the “C61 – hotel services” use is in effect. However, in addition to the current CITQ registration, a certificate of authorization from the Town is now also required. To know the 17 zones mentioned above, consult this document.

When updating its urban plan, the Town will decide whether short-term rental use for second homes should be extended to other zones. At that time, a zoning change regulation must be accepted through the process of either adopting a separate regulation, or as an element of a new urban plan.

If your registration concerns a principal or secondary residence in a C61 zone, you must apply to the Town for a certificate of authorization. For other CITQ registration holders, nothing will change for the moment. The Town will respect your CITQ registration until its expiration. You must follow the CITQ’s instructions to continue practicing short-term rental.

You can make a report by consulting the Revenu Québec website. Click here to see the page. You can also make a report to the Town by writing to this email: greffe@lacbrome.ca.

The first step is to discuss with the tenant on the spot. If you do not receive a satisfactory response, we invite you to consult the Town’s register to obtain the contact information of the concerned owner (this register will be in place in the coming weeks), and then contact them. If the problem persists, call the police at 310-4141 (*4141 on a cell phone) and make a report to the Town (greffe@lacbrome.ca).

The operator of a short-term rental must display their CITQ registration and their certificate of authorization from the Town in a location visible from the street.

The Town adopted by-law 599-4. This by-law amended by-law 599 on permits and certificates. Essentially, by-law 599-4 creates new sections to require a Certificate of Approval for short-term rentals. This certificate is subject to several conditions.