Can You Airbnb Your Toronto Condo in 2026–2027? Rules, Checklist & Next Steps

Thinking about putting your Toronto condo on Airbnb? Start here.

You can legally list a Toronto condo on Airbnb in 2026, but only if it is your principal residence and your condo corporation allows it. If either of those is a no, short-term renting is off the table, and the smarter question becomes what else to do with the unit.

We hear this question from condo owners every week, and it makes sense right now. According to TRREB's Q2 2026 Rental Market Report, 21,251 condo apartments were leased across the GTA in the second quarter, up 4.2% from a year earlier. Yet average rents fell: one-bedrooms dropped 2.3% to $2,273 and two-bedrooms dropped 1.7% to $3,013. More units are competing for tenants, and long-term landlords are earning a little less for it.

So owners start asking: should I sell, keep leasing, or try Airbnb? This guide walks through what you need to check before you list, how the rules differ across the GTA, what that means in North York and downtown, and a step-by-step checklist you can work through yourself.

A quick note before we start: we are a short-term rental management company, not a lawyer, a municipal bylaw office or your condo board. Rules change, and every building is different. Use this guide to get organized and ask the right questions, then confirm the final answer with your condo's property manager, the City and, where needed, a real estate lawyer.

Toronto's short-term rental rules for condo owners (2026)

In the City of Toronto, a short-term rental is any stay of less than 28 consecutive days, and you can only host one in the home where you actually live. Here are the rules that matter most for condo owners, per the City of Toronto's operator page.

1. It must be your principal residence

Your principal residence is where you live and the address on your bills, ID, taxes and insurance. You can only have one, so you can only run one short-term rental in Toronto. An investment condo you don't live in cannot be listed on Airbnb for stays under 28 days. It can only be rented long-term.

2. The 180-night rule

If you rent out the entire condo while you're away, you're capped at 180 nights per calendar year. If you rent a room while you're home (a partial-unit registration), there's no night cap, but you can't advertise more bedrooms than one fewer than your unit has. You choose one type when you register and can only switch at renewal.

For most condo owners, the entire-unit option is the realistic one: you travel, work away for stretches, or split your time, and the condo earns while you're gone.

3. Registration, fees and inspections

• Register with the City before you list. The 2026 fee is $390 a year, paid by credit card.
• Prove your residence: an Ontario driver's licence or photo card with the address, plus two more documents such as utility bills or insurance.
• Name an emergency contact who is reachable 24/7, and post emergency information and an exit diagram inside the unit.
• Show your registration number on every listing.
• Expect an inspection. Since January 2025, approved registrations can be inspected annually, and you'll need to be present.
• Renew yearly, with all tax filings up to date.

4. The 6% Municipal Accommodation Tax

Stays under 28 days carry a 6% Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT). It's reported quarterly, even in quarters with no bookings. Airbnb can collect and remit it for you, but you still file the report.

5. Your condo board's rules still apply

City registration doesn't override your building. The City says condo owners must follow their corporation's bylaws, and those may prohibit short-term rentals. Condo property managers are expected to tell the City when they do. More on this in the next section.

6. Penalties and the tax hit

Set fines are $1,000 for hosting without registration or renting a home that isn't your principal residence, and $700 for going over 180 nights. Court convictions can reach $100,000.

There's a federal cost too. Since the 2024 tax year, the Canada Revenue Agency denies expense deductions for short-term rentals that don't comply with local rules. That means no write-off for your mortgage interest, condo fees or utilities against the rental income.

What about stays of 28 days or more?

Rentals of 28 days or more aren't short-term rentals under Toronto's bylaw, so the principal-residence rule and 180-night cap don't apply. That's why furnished mid-term rentals (for example, to travelling nurses, relocating professionals or families between homes) are popular with investor-owners. But a stay that long may fall under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, which brings tenant protections. Speak with a lawyer before you go this route.

Condo board rules: the check most owners skip

Your condo corporation has the final say on whether your unit can host short-term guests, even if you qualify with the City. Many Toronto buildings ban stays under 30 days or longer, and Ontario courts have enforced those bans.

Where the rules live

Condo rules sit in three layers. Check all three:

• The declaration is the strongest document. Many say units may be used only as a "single-family residence." Ontario courts have read that wording to rule out hotel-style use with rotating nightly guests. Changing a declaration takes the approval of roughly 80% of owners, so it rarely moves.
• The bylaws can set out occupancy terms in more detail. Changing them needs a majority of all owners.
• The rules are made by the board under section 58 of Ontario's Condominium Act. A common one is a minimum rental term of 30 days, or sometimes three to six months. Boards can pass rules without a vote, so they can change after you buy.

What the courts have said

• Toronto, 2001–2002: courts upheld a downtown condo's ban on transient use and on tenancies under three months, and dismissed a rental operator's damages claim against the building (summary).
• Ottawa: a court found that owners renting a unit on Airbnb and Expedia "on a repeated short-term basis in a hotel-like operation" breached a single-family-use declaration.
• The other side: in 2017, two Toronto condo corporations whose declarations expressly allowed short-term rentals asked a court to remove those clauses. The court refused, holding that renting is an ownership right the declaration protected (CCI summary).

The takeaway: the wording of your building's documents decides it, not the general mood about Airbnb.

What enforcement looks like

If you host in a building that prohibits it, expect compliance letters, fines added to your unit's ledger (collectible like unpaid condo fees), and possibly a court order with legal costs charged back to you. Your condo manager may also notify the City, putting your registration at risk.

Two more checks: insurance and mortgage

• Insurance: a standard condo unit policy often excludes paying guests. Ask your insurer in writing whether short-term rentals are covered, or whether you need a home-sharing endorsement or a dedicated short-term rental policy. Airbnb's host protection is not a substitute.
• Mortgage: some lenders restrict renting, particularly on owner-occupied mortgages. Read your terms or ask your lender before you list.

Condo Airbnb rules across the GTA

Almost every GTA municipality now limits short-term rentals to the host's principal residence, so moving your investment condo across a city line won't get around the rule. What changes is the licence, the fees and the tax. Here's a quick snapshot as of fall 2026. Bylaws are updated often, so always confirm with your municipality before you list.

City of Toronto (including North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough)

• Principal residence only; 180 nights a year for entire-unit rentals
• City registration, $390 a year
• 6% Municipal Accommodation Tax

Vaughan

• Principal residence only; condos are eligible
• City owner licence: about $213 to start and $181 to renew in 2026
• In a building with three or more units, you'll need a letter confirming short-term rentals are permitted
• 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax

Markham

• No short-term rental licence exists, and stays under 30 nights aren't permitted in any zone without a site-specific rezoning
• In practice, Airbnb isn't an option for Markham condos; mid-term or long-term leasing is

Richmond Hill

• Allowed only where the operator lives on the property, for stays under 28 days
• No licence or accommodation tax, but zoning varies by area, so check your address

Oakville

• Licensed in your principal residence only, $292 for 2026
• Requires $2 million liability insurance, inspections and a local contact who can reach the unit within an hour
• 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax

Burlington

• Principal residence only, under a bylaw in force since May 2025
• $300 licence, 183-day annual cap, $2 million liability insurance
• Condo owners need board approval

Brampton

• Principal residence only; $150 licence; 180-night annual cap
• $2 million liability insurance; 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax

Durham Region (Pickering and Ajax)

• Pickering: zoning allows short-term rentals only in your principal residence. A licensing bylaw has been drafted but not passed.
• Ajax: principal residence only, 180 days a year, and a 5% accommodation tax you collect and remit yourself.

The pattern

Wherever you are in the GTA, the same three questions decide it: do you live there, does your building allow it, and have you registered and set up taxes? If the answer to the first question is no, look at mid-term furnished rentals of 28 days or more, or a traditional lease.

Downtown Toronto vs. North York: where condo short-term rentals actually happen

The downtown core is still where most registered condo short-term rentals are. North York has far fewer, which means less competition for owners who qualify. An analysis of City of Toronto registration data published in March 2026 found:

• Spadina–Fort York (CityPlace, Fort York, Liberty Village, Harbourfront, the Entertainment District): about 1,830 registrations across 148 buildings, roughly 61% of all condo short-term rentals in the city
• Toronto Centre (Bay Street corridor, Church–Wellesley, St. Lawrence): about 524 registrations
• University–Rosedale (Yorkville, Bloor–Yonge): about 230 registrations
• Willowdale (Yonge–Sheppard and the North York Centre corridor): about 60 registrations across 23 buildings
• Don Valley North (Bayview Village, Parkway Forest, Sheppard East): about 10 registrations

These are registrations, not active listings, but the pattern is clear.

Downtown core: high demand, high competition

Downtown condos sit next to the things short-term guests come for: the waterfront, the convention centre, concerts, sports, the hospitals and the Financial District. That brings year-round demand, but also a lot of nearby listings competing on price.

To stand out downtown, your listing needs strong photos, sharp pricing and fast, reliable guest communication. Many downtown buildings also have stricter concierge and fob rules for guests, so check those before your first booking.

North York: quieter, but a real fit for the right owner

North York condos along Yonge Street, Sheppard Avenue and Bayview Village have direct subway access to downtown in about 25 to 30 minutes. They tend to draw longer, calmer stays: visiting families, professionals working at North York offices or hospitals, students' parents and people between homes.

With far fewer registered short-term rentals, a well-run North York condo can stand out. The trade-off is lower nightly rates than downtown and more weight on weekly and monthly stays. For many North York owners, mixing short stays while they travel with mid-term stays of 28 days or more works well.

Same rules in both

North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke are all part of the City of Toronto, so the principal-residence rule, the 180-night cap and the 6% accommodation tax apply equally. And your building's own rules still decide whether you can host at all.

Buying a new condo to Airbnb? Read this first

If you're buying a condo you won't live in, plan for long-term or mid-term rental income, not Airbnb. Under the principal-residence rules across most of the GTA, an investor-owned unit can't legally host stays under 28 days.

That said, 2026 is an unusual moment for buyers. Urbanation reports a record 4,295 completed but unsold new condos across the GTHA in Q1 2026. Developer asking prices are down 5% year over year, and resale prices are about 25% below their 2022 peak. About 21,850 units are scheduled to finish in 2026, falling to roughly 14,659 in 2027. Fewer completions ahead could tighten rental supply later in the decade.

Master-planned communities worth watching

These large condo communities are where much of the GTA's new supply is landing:

• Concord Park Place, North York: a roughly 45-acre community at Sheppard and Leslie, between two subway stations, planned for about 5,000 units around an eight-acre park (details). New towers there are slated for 2026 move-ins.
• Yonge–Sheppard and North York Centre: established high-rise corridor with subway access and steady rental demand.
• Emerald City, North York: a cluster of towers at Don Mills and Sheppard by Fairview Mall.
• Downsview (YZD), North York: a long-term redevelopment of the former Downsview airport lands, which will add homes in phases over decades.
• Downtown waterfront (Lakeshore East, Bayside, CityPlace): the strongest short-term rental demand in the city, and the most competition.
• Vaughan Metropolitan Centre: a fast-growing downtown for Vaughan on the subway line. Vaughan licenses short-term rentals in your principal residence, condos included.

The one thing to check before you sign

Ask for the draft declaration, the disclosure statement and the proposed rules before you buy, and read them for minimum lease terms. More developers now write short-term rental limits in from day one, and once the declaration is registered, changing it takes about 80% of owners. If you might ever want to host while you travel, buy into a building whose documents allow it.

On the fence: sell your condo or put it on Airbnb?

The right answer depends on whether you live in the unit, what your building allows and how much of your own time you want to give it. Here are the questions condo owners ask us most, answered as straight as we can.

"I'm moving out. Can I keep my condo and Airbnb it?"

Not in Toronto, if you're moving out for good. Once the condo is no longer your principal residence, stays under 28 days aren't allowed. Your options are a long-term lease, a furnished mid-term rental of 28 days or more, or selling.

"I live here but travel a lot. Is short-term renting worth it?"

Often, yes. This is exactly who Toronto's rules were written for. You can rent the whole unit for up to 180 nights a year while you're away, which can cover a big share of your carrying costs. The catch is the work: cleaning, check-ins, guest messages, pricing and taxes all happen while you're out of town.

"Should I sell now or wait?"

We're not financial advisors, so treat this as a framework, not advice. Resale condo prices in the GTA are about 25% below their 2022 peak, and a record number of new units are sitting unsold. Selling now may mean accepting a lower price. If you can carry the unit and it's your home, earning from it while you wait for the market to recover can be a reasonable middle path.

"Will Airbnb earn more than a long-term tenant?"

It can, but not automatically. Compare them honestly:

• Long-term lease: steady income with little work. A one-bedroom averaged $2,273 a month in Q2 2026, per TRREB, and rents have been easing.
• Short-term (your principal residence, up to 180 nights): higher nightly rates and flexibility to use your home, but income varies by season. Subtract cleaning, supplies, platform fees, the 6% accommodation tax, insurance and your time.
• Mid-term (28+ days, furnished): fewer turnovers and no 180-night cap, but tenant law may apply. Get legal advice first.

"What about taxes if I sell later?"

Renting out your principal residence can affect your capital gains exemption and how you report income. Before you list, talk to an accountant about the principal residence exemption, whether to claim depreciation (usually not, for this reason), and GST/HST registration if your short-term rental income passes $30,000 a year.

A simple way to decide

1. Do you live in it, and will you keep living in it? No: skip Airbnb; compare a long-term or mid-term lease with selling.
2. Does your building allow stays under 30 days? No: same as above.
3. Will you be away enough nights to make it worth it? If you're away fewer than 60 to 90 nights a year, the setup may not pay off.
4. Do you want to run it yourself? If not, budget for professional management in your numbers from day one.

Your condo Airbnb compliance checklist

Work through these in order. If any step in Phase 1 comes back as a no, stop there and look at mid-term or long-term renting instead.

Phase 1: Can you host at all? (Week 1)

• Confirm it's your principal residence. Your driver's licence, tax return, bills and insurance should all show this address.
• Check your municipality. Toronto, Vaughan, Oakville, Burlington and Brampton license or register hosts. Markham doesn't allow stays under 30 nights.
• Get your condo documents. Ask your property manager for the current declaration, bylaws and rules, or check your status certificate if you bought recently.
• Search them for the key words: "short-term," "transient," "hotel," "single-family," "minimum lease" or "minimum term."
• Read the last 12 months of board minutes for any new rules that aren't in the documents yet.
• Get written confirmation from your property manager that stays under 28 days are permitted. Silence in the documents isn't permission.

Phase 2: Protect yourself (Weeks 1–2)

• Call your insurer and get written confirmation of short-term rental coverage, or add an endorsement.
• Check your mortgage terms for any restrictions on renting.
• Talk to an accountant about the principal residence exemption, the federal rule denying expenses for non-compliant rentals, and GST/HST registration.
• Decide your rental type: entire unit while you're away (180-night cap in Toronto) or a private room while you're home.

Phase 3: Register and set up (Weeks 2–4)

• Register with your municipality and put your registration number on every listing.
• Register for the accommodation tax (6% in Toronto) and set a reminder for quarterly reports.
• Name a 24/7 emergency contact and post emergency information and an exit diagram in the unit.
• Follow building logistics: guest registration with concierge, fob handoffs, elevator bookings, parking and garbage rules.
• Furnish and stock the unit to a hotel-clean standard, then get professional photos.

Phase 4: Run it compliantly (ongoing)

• Track your nights so you stay under 180 a year for entire-unit stays.
• Screen guests and set house rules for noise, parties and visitors to protect your standing with neighbours and the board.
• Keep records of every booking and tax payment; the City can ask for them within 10 days.
• Renew your registration every year and be ready for an inspection.

How Oakwood helps once your condo is eligible

If your condo passes the checks above, we can take it from compliant to fully booked, without you running it from your phone while you travel.

We've spent eight years hosting more than 18,000 guests across the GTA. Every home we manage holds Superhost status, and 80% are Airbnb Guest Favourites. Here's what that looks like for a condo owner:

• Setup guidance for first-time hosts. If you've never listed, we walk you through setup and connect you with licensing and registration specialists from our trusted-experts directory, along with lawyers and accountants.
• We co-host, you stay in control. Your Airbnb account stays in your name. We come on as co-host and handle the day-to-day.
• Listing and pricing. Professional photos, a listing written to rank, and pricing that adjusts to downtown events, seasons and demand.
• Guest communication and screening. Fast replies, careful guest screening and clear house rules that keep your neighbours and your board on side.
• Building logistics. Concierge registration, fob handoffs, elevator bookings and the rest of your building's rules, handled.
• Cleaning and turnovers to a hotel standard between every stay.
• Compliance tracking. Your night count against the 180-night cap, accommodation tax reminders and renewal dates, so nothing slips.
• Transparent fees. One clear commission, with every cost explained upfront. No stacked add-ons hidden behind a low headline rate.

Not sure yet whether your building allows it? Start there. Book a free consultation and we'll help you work out what to ask your property manager and what your condo could realistically earn.

Toronto condo Airbnb FAQ

Can I Airbnb my condo in Toronto?

Yes, if it's your principal residence, your condo corporation allows stays under 28 days, and you register with the City. Entire-unit rentals are capped at 180 nights a year.

Can I Airbnb a condo I don't live in?

Not for stays under 28 days in Toronto or most GTA cities. Investment condos can be rented long-term or as furnished mid-term rentals of 28 days or more.

How do I find out if my condo allows Airbnb?

Read your declaration, bylaws and rules for minimum lease terms or bans on short-term or transient use, then get written confirmation from your property manager.

Can my condo board stop me if I'm registered with the City?

Yes. City registration doesn't override your condo's declaration or rules. Boards can issue fines and seek court orders, and Ontario courts have upheld short-term rental bans.

What is the 180-night rule in Toronto?

If you rent out your entire condo, you can host short-term guests for up to 180 nights per calendar year. Renting a private room while you live there has no night cap.

How much does it cost to register a short-term rental in Toronto?

The 2026 fee is $390 a year. You'll also collect and report the 6% Municipal Accommodation Tax.

Do I need special insurance to Airbnb my condo?

Usually. Standard condo unit policies often exclude paying guests. Ask your insurer for a short-term rental endorsement or dedicated policy, in writing.

Is a mid-term rental a good alternative?

For many investor-owners, yes. Furnished stays of 28 days or more aren't short-term rentals under Toronto's bylaw, but tenant law may apply, and your condo may still set a minimum term.

What does a short-term rental management company do for condo owners?

A full-service manager handles listing, pricing, guest messages, screening, cleaning, building logistics and compliance tracking, usually for a percentage of booking revenue. At Oakwood, we work as your co-host, so the account stays yours.

Does Oakwood manage condos in North York and downtown Toronto?

Yes. We work with eligible condo owners across Toronto, including the downtown core and North York. Get in touch to see if your unit qualifies.

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