Safety steps Airbnb renters can take -- and measures that operators must
A deadly fire that swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday where several apartments were being used as Airbnb units is raising safety concerns about short-term rental properties.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.