A platform can accept a listing before the host has resolved every local requirement. That leaves two separate questions: whether the rental may operate at that address, and how its income and expenses must be reported.
Answer the local question before accepting bookings.
Check the actual Ottawa permit category
Ottawa's short-term rental by-law covers qualifying accommodation for fewer than 30 consecutive nights and requires a host permit. Its current consolidated rules include principal-residence requirements and defined exceptions, including qualifying cottage and Dedicated Short-Term Rental categories.
Do not assume an ordinary investment condo qualifies because another listing exists nearby. Check the address, zoning, applicable category, building restrictions, owner consent where relevant and insurance requirements against the City's current rules.
Keep the issued permit and its effective dates, renewals and any interruption in compliance. A saved application is not proof that a permit was granted.
Keep compliance dates beside the rental calendar
Federal rules can deny expenses attributable to non-compliant short-term rentals, while the income still needs reporting. The federal definition and the municipal permit definition should be checked separately; the same phrase does not guarantee identical time limits.
Build a calendar showing booked nights, personal use and the periods covered by valid permissions. Keep invoices linked to the relevant property and period so any required adjustment can be calculated.
Reconcile the platform statement
Separate guest charges, platform fees, refunds and tax amounts instead of treating the bank payout as the entire transaction. Review GST/HST obligations independently; a platform's collection arrangement does not answer every host obligation.
When an issue is discovered, retain the correspondence and correction dates. Do not backdate a permission or assume a later permit makes every earlier expense deductible.
A complete file supports both the operating history and the tax return. It starts before the first guest arrives.
