Summary#
Montréal city council gave notice of a proposed bylaw to amend the City’s internal bylaw on delegating powers to borough councils (02-002). It has not been adopted, so the delegation has not changed. City staff say the goal is to move responsibility for enforcing the tourist-accommodation bylaw (25-007) from Plateau-Mont-Royal to Ville-Marie.
- If adopted, the change would assign that enforcement responsibility to Ville-Marie instead of Plateau-Mont-Royal.
- City staff say the tourist-accommodation enforcement squad already works across all 19 boroughs.
- The proposal does not itself change the rules for tourist accommodations. The decision summary says staffing, budget transfers and other operational changes will be handled in later decisions.
What it means for you#
- Residents and tourist-accommodation operators: No immediate change. The proposed transfer is not yet adopted, and this decision does not change the requirements under bylaw 25-007.
- Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal: If the bylaw is later adopted, enforcement responsibility would move to Ville-Marie.
- City administration: City staff say the transfer of staff, budgets and operational responsibilities will be dealt with in later decisions.
Money#
City staff say this decision has no budget impact for Montréal.
- The decision summary says staffing and budget transfers will be addressed in later decisions; it gives no amount for those changes.
- A previous 2025 decision authorized a $1.1 million transfer for that year to Plateau-Mont-Royal. The materials do not say how much, if any, would later be transferred to Ville-Marie.
What is unclear#
- The proposed bylaw text is not included, so the exact wording and limits of the delegation cannot be checked.
- The timing and details of any staff, budget or operational transfers are not provided.
- The materials do not say when council will vote on adopting the proposed bylaw.
Case for#
- City staff say placing the squad in Ville-Marie would better align citywide enforcement with central City services and strategic direction.
- Staff say the squad’s work has become more complex as tourist-accommodation issues and rental systems have evolved.
- Moving the responsibility to a borough while the squad works citywide could, in staff’s view, support more coordinated operations.
Case against#
- The proposed bylaw does not yet explain how the transfer would work in practice; staffing and budget details are deferred to later decisions.
- The decision summary does not provide evidence that moving the responsibility will improve enforcement or explain how the transition will be managed.