New Requirements for Accommodation Providers

Any property that meets the definition of “hotel” in the act is subject to the regulation.

The Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act, 2021 (ASRGA) was brought into force on January 1, 2026. The requirements under this act are to support human trafficking investigations. Here is a summary of the changes you need to know:

1 – Accommodation providers subject to the Act and online accommodation platforms must now record in a register:

• name and primary residence of the guest
• primary phone number of the guest who provides their name and primary residence
• vehicle information (if parked on site, and for online accommodation platforms, unless unknown at the time of reservation)
• billing address (for online accommodation platforms, instead of primary residence)
• This guest information must be maintained for 6 years from the end of the fiscal period in which it was recorded.

2 – Removal of the outdated obligation to post room rates

3 – Specific requirements for online accommodation platforms (Booking.com, AirBnB, etc):

Recognizing the distinct business models of online accommodation platforms, the regulation includes tailored requirements to make compliance straightforward and practical:

• vehicle information is collected at the time of reservation, unless unknown
• a billing address is recorded in place of primary residence, aligning with existing platform practices

These adjustments enable consistency in information recorded in a register while respecting operational differences across the sector.

4 – Penalty for non-compliance

To encourage compliance, the penalty for failing to meet register requirements has been increased to $5,000.

5 – Standardized processes for law enforcement access

• Police may obtain guest data via a production order in non-urgent cases or demand immediate access in urgent cases (for example, imminent harm to a victim or risk of evidence destruction).
• To promote transparency, officers must report every use of urgent demand powers, within 30 days of each occurrence.
• Police chiefs must submit annual reports by April 1, which must be made publicly available by June 1 every year. These reporting requirements are the same as those under the Missing Persons Act, 2018 and support public accountability.