Quebec tourism group to expand in fight against illegal home-sharing

A Quebec tourism group is adding more inspectors in hopes of educating people looking to rent out their homes through services like Airbnb.

Only seven fines have been given out for cases of illegal home-sharing since the province's updated regulations came into effect last April.

The Corporation de l'industrie touristique du Québec (CITQ), a group representing Quebec's tourism industry, says it has received 450 reports of illegal home-sharing since July 1.

"We aren't on a witch hunt," said CITQ's director Michel Rheault. "We always assume that people don't know the law."

The group plans to hire more inspectors in the coming months and update its information system in order to deal with the reports.

Quebec requires owners who frequently rent out their properties to obtain the same provincial certification as hotel and bed-and-breakfast operators, and charge travellers lodging taxes of up to 3.5 per cent.

Violators face fines between $500 and $50,000.