Owner guide

Quebec CITQ registration, explained

Renting your chalet to tourists in Quebec, even a few nights a year? You need a registration number from the CITQ, and it must appear in every ad. Here is how it works, step by step.

General information based on the CITQ and Government of Québec websites, not legal advice. Fees and rules change: check the linked official pages before you apply.

Who must register

Any paid rental to tourists for 31 consecutive days or less must be registered under Quebec’s Tourist Accommodation Act: a chalet, a cottage, your principal residence or a single room. There is no exception for renting only a few days a year. Rentals of 32 consecutive days or more (for example for a whole season) do not need registration (CITQ FAQ).

Two categories, two fees

• Principal residence establishment: the home where you usually live, rented in one booking to one person or one group at a time, with no meals. Fee: $54 a year.
• General tourist accommodation establishment: everything else, including a chalet or cottage that is not your principal residence. Fee: $156 a year.

Fees in effect since January 1, 2026, for a registration or a renewal (CITQ: annual registration fees).

How to register, step by step

1. Notice of compliance from your municipality. Zoning decides where tourist rentals are allowed. Fill in sections 1–3 of the notice of compliance form (in French; an English information sheet explains it) and send it to the urban planning department of your municipality, borough or MRC, which signs section 4. Without it, the CITQ cannot process your application.
2. Gather the documents: your deed or municipal or school tax bill; proof of civil liability insurance of at least $2,000,000 per event; exterior (front) and interior photos; if you rent the place, the owner’s authorization; in a condo, the syndicate’s authorization (both on the CITQ’s standard forms). For a principal residence, two proofs that you live there (for example a tax bill, a car insurance certificate, a Canada Post change of address, or a government letter such as a driver’s licence or Hydro-Québec bill).
3. Apply online and pay the fee on the CITQ website. Allow a few weeks.
4. Receive your 6-digit registration number and certificate. Only then may you advertise and rent. The reference number of your application (REF-… or RP-…) is not a registration number.

Showing the number and the expiry date

The 6-digit number (and the establishment’s name, if it has one) must appear in every ad: rental platforms, other websites such as Kijiji or Marketplace, your own website and your social media posts. Accepted formats include “Registration number 123456” and “Reg. 123456”. Offers on transactional booking platforms must also show the certificate’s expiry date, and the certificate itself must be posted at the main entrance of the chalet (CITQ display guide). Anyone can check a number in the government’s directory of registered establishments.

On Cottage & Chalet Rentals, Quebec listings show the CITQ number and its expiry date on the listing page; add both in your owner dashboard and we check them before publishing.

Renewal, and the rules since September 1, 2026

A registration is valid for 12 months and is renewed within the 60 days before it expires: you get a notice by email about 60 days ahead, then submit the renewal on the CITQ Portal and pay the fee. For registrations that take effect on or after September 1, 2026 (CITQ: new obligations):

• a principal residence establishment provides two proofs of principal residence at every renewal;
• an operator who rents the place provides the owner’s authorization every year;
• in a condo, the syndicate’s authorization is needed every year;
• these documents must be dated within the 12 months before the renewal.

A registration cannot be transferred: if you buy a chalet that was registered, you apply for your own.

Tax on lodging, GST and QST

In tourism regions where it applies, short stays carry the tax on lodging, generally 3.5% of the price per night; the operator registers for it, collects it and remits it to Revenu Québec, and this includes principal residence establishments (Revenu Québec: tax on lodging). GST and QST registration becomes mandatory above the $30,000 small supplier threshold. Revenu Québec is the place to ask.

Fines

Revenu Québec enforces the law. For an individual, fines include $2,500 to $25,000 for operating without registration, $1,000 to $10,000 for an ad without the registration number, $2,500 to $25,000 for an expired, false or inaccurate number, and $1,000 to $10,000 for not holding the $2,000,000 liability insurance (Government of Québec: offences and fines).

Also check locally

Municipalities can limit where tourist rentals are allowed and, in some cases, how many days a year; a condo syndicate can refuse short-term rentals. Ask both before you apply.

Checklist

• Rental of 31 days or less? You need a CITQ number
• Category: principal residence ($54) or general ($156)
• Municipal notice of compliance signed
• Deed or tax bill, $2M liability insurance, photos, authorizations
• Apply online; wait for the 6-digit number before advertising
• Number in every ad, expiry date on booking platforms, certificate at the entrance
• Renew within 60 days before expiry; tax on lodging with Revenu Québec

Sources (official)

• CITQ: frequently asked questions
• CITQ: opening a file and getting a registration number
• CITQ: annual registration fees
• CITQ: display guide
• CITQ: new obligations (2026)
• Government of Québec: offences and fines (French)
• Government of Québec: directory of registered establishments (French)
• Revenu Québec: tax on lodging

Checked against official sources on 2026-10-23