Here are several steps guests can take to protect themselves:
For guests:
Check to see a rental's registration number is posted in the listing as a way to confirm the operation is above board. (City officials said short-term rentals are illegal in Old Montreal, with 10 establishments authorized to operate, having been grandfathered in. Yet Airbnb lists more than 1,000 places for rent.)
Scan the online reviews for any safety concerns.
On arrival, confirm that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in place, and test them. Guests can even bring their own just in case.
Look out for flammable materials near a gas stove, such as curtains or paper towels.
Check the house manual for an evacuation plan, and map out an escape plan.
For hosts:
Airbnb suggests operators install carbon monoxide alarms near every sleeping area, and smoke alarms on every level as well as outside each bedroom "at a minimum." Check the batteries at least twice a year. Rentals must comply with all local safety regulations -- on fire escapes and emergency exits, for example.
Install fire extinguishers in the kitchen, garage and on every floor "if possible." Put stickers on doors and cabinets where they're located to make them easier to find.
In the house manual, lay out an evacuation plan that includes two ways to exit each room and a place to meet outside.
Ensure proper ventilation and regular inspection of household appliances such as gas stoves, water heaters, ovens and charcoal grills. Wood and coal stoves, fireplaces and furnaces should be cleaned by professionals once a year, the company says.
Remind guests in the house manual that they should never use a grill or camp stove indoors -- for warmth or other reasons. If there are space heaters, choose a model that turns off when tipped over. Make sure wires and cables are in good condition.
RISING DEMAND
Short-term rentals have surged over the past year, as consumers return to travel after more than two years of COVID-19-related restrictions.
Now, even as high inflation and interest rates erode travellers' spending power and the profit margins of hosts with mortgages to pay down, Airbnb and other platforms continue to see a rush of customers eager to rent a spot.
Airbnb and Vrbo listings grew by 41 per cent in Toronto, 38 per cent in Montreal and 49 per cent in Vancouver between the final quarter of 2021 and the same period last year, according to AirDNA, which tracks short-term rental units worldwide.
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.
As bystanders screamed for help, a man with a knife stabbed four young children at a lakeside park in the French Alps on Thursday, assaulting at least one in a stroller repeatedly. The children between 22 months and 3 years old suffered life-threatening injuries, and two adults also were wounded, authorities said.
The hot, dry conditions that are fuelling wildfires countrywide are just the beginning of what summer could look like in Canada this year, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.
The battle against hundreds of wildfires continues, as almost every jurisdiction in Canada remains under either heat or air quality warnings from the federal government. The day after what was supposed to be national Clean Air Day, dozens of alerts remain in place for unseasonable heat or smoky air quality.
Norwegian officials said the smoke from Canadian wildfires that has enveloped parts of the U.S. and Canada in a thick haze is expected to pour into Norway on Thursday.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
Pat Robertson, a religious broadcaster who turned a tiny Virginia station into the global Christian Broadcasting Network, tried a run for president and helped make religion central to Republican Party politics in America through his Christian Coalition, has died.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
New Brunswick students under the age of 16 who identify as trans and non-binary won't be able to officially change their names or pronouns in school without parental consent.
The Halifax Regional Municipality says it will announce Thursday when more residents can return to their homes in communities impacted by the Tantallon wildfires.
Irving Oil says it’s undertaking a “strategic review” with an eye to its future. In a release Wednesday, the company says it’s looking at a number of options, including the sale of its assets.
Just before 8 a.m. on Tuesday, police say a man entered a business on Dundas Street near Adelaide Street and once inside, tried to steal things and made threats towards employees while holding a knife.
Romance scams have always been around, but they got worse during the pandemic, and fraudsters continue to use social media and dating sites to find victims.
Calgary city council has reconsidered its decision to vote against recommendations made by an expert panel to address the city’s housing affordability crisis.
Police say a man on a mobility scooter has life-altering injuries after he was struck by a vehicle in a northeast Calgary intersection on Wednesday evening.
Waterloo region and Wellington County remain under a special air quality statement for the fourth straight day Thursday with pollution levels expected to climb back into Environment Canada’s “high risk” zone this afternoon.
Kitchener is hosting a series of watch parties to cheer on basketball star Jamal Murray as his Denver Nuggets take on the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
The nondescript parking lot at the centre of debate about the future of Vancouver's historic Chinatown is unchanged in the six years since plans to build a condo tower there were shot down by the city's development permit board.
British Columbia’s beer game continues to pack a punch on the national stage, as breweries from across the province took home nearly four dozen awards at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Drivers are being asked to find another way or prepare for delays on the Henday this weekend, because crews need to close a bridge over the North Saskatchewan River.
The Archdiocese of Edmonton will spend $3.2 million on reconciliation initiatives with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in the Alberta capital region.
Flooded underpasses have been a common occurrence in Regina this spring with several thunderstorms dumping heavy rain on the city, but Mayor Sandra Masters says several solutions are in the works to help prevent further flooding.
Regina city council has asked its administration to pursue permission from the Saskatchewan Municipal Board (SMB) to increase its debt limit to $780 million.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Smoke and haze from wildfires cleared over Ottawa-Gatineau on Thursday, allowing outdoor recreational programming and activities to resume. Officials warm the smoke and haze could return on Friday afternoon.
The Ottawa Real Estate Board says home sales were up six per cent in May 2023 compared to a year prior, marking the first year-over-year unit sales volume increase since early last year.
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
