Property owners hoping to cash in on Canada Day crowds
Hundreds of people in Ottawa are trying to rent out their properties in hopes of cashing in on the record crowds expected to descend on the capital for Canada's 150th birthday.
With hotels fully booked and campsites filling up fast, homeowners and businesses are posting ads online offering tourists all sorts of venues.
Some families are listing rooms in their homes for the first time, or spaces that under normal circumstances would be unusual to rent out.
Linda Bordeleau posted an ad on Kijiji on Tuesday offering a "really nice small bedroom" in her Alta Vista home for $400 a night, if you stay for two nights.
It's $475 for one night — including meals.
"It's still considerably cheaper than the hotels," said Bordeleau, adding she'd heard about hotels going for $600 a night. "If people are willing to pay the price, then why not?"
'It could be an interesting experience'
Bordeleau said she got the idea after overhearing coworkers talking about renting their homes out for Canada Day weekend.
"I'd heard for some time that hotel space is at a premium to nonexistent right now, so I thought, 'What a great idea,'" said Bordeleau.
"We had a really cute, clean, comfortable guest room. I thought, it's sitting there empty, somebody might enjoy it. ... It could be an interesting experience for us," she added.
Along with full access to the house and big backyard, the deal includes a Canada Day afternoon barbecue and other "awesome meals." Her husband Paul is a cook and is excited to cater for guests, said Bordeleau.
Good-natured little dogs are allowed too — they have two of their own.
"This is a special day for us. If we can share it with visitors from outside of Ottawa, then I'm happy to do it," said Bordeleau.
'It's totally different'
People are also offering their backyards to campers, as well as spaces that aren't traditionally used for overnight stays.
A downtown gym close to the Parliament Hill festivities, for instance, has listed its workout space on Airbnb for $550 a night.
Head trainer Matthew Thorpe at UpRise Fit said they were closed for personal training and classes anyway that weekend, so it made sense.
"It's totally different," said Thorpe. "We're in such an eclectic neighbourhood, we're hoping people latch onto that."
The gym's ad says they can accommodate eight people. It urges renters to bring an air matress or a sleeping bag and "enjoy the festivities 500 metres away from Parliament Hill."
"Mats and pillows available on request for a small fee," it adds.
'Canadians like to camp'
"We thought, Canadians like to camp. So let's let them camp inside," said Thorpe. "We're so close to everything. We're literally two blocks from all the action."
Thorpe said that since business slows down in the summer, renting the gym space could be a unique way to help pay the rent.
The ad's been online for two weeks, and while there's been interest but no firm bookings, Thorpe is hopeful for a last-minute message.
Airbnb says 5,900 guests have booked locations in Ottawa for the Canada Day weekend, up from 2,600 guests in 2016. Most people are travelling from Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver, according to a company spokesperson.
Toronto is considering new regulations to control Airbnb rentals, and the City of Ottawa has said it's keeping a close eye on what they come up with.
Toronto Mayor John Tory has proposed restricting listings on the popular short-term rental site to primary dwellings. Airbnb's current model allows owners to list any property for rent.
