🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Gander, Canada
Approved in March 2025 and effective April 1, 2026, the Town of Gander's Tourism Accommodation Tax By-Law gives short-term rental operators one final window to get compliant.
After a Year in Development, Gander's 4% Accommodation Tax Is Almost Here
Photo from https://www.terranovarover.com/
The Town of Gander approved a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) By-Law on March 19, 2025, establishing a 4% levy on short-term accommodations of 30 days or less. Though the by-law took effect July 1, 2025, active collection with tourism partners is aligned to begin April 1, 2026. Revenue generated by the MAT is directed toward local tourism initiatives and infrastructure projects.
About 4% tax on short-term stays in Gander, funding local tourism and collected by operators and platforms.
Mayor Percy Farwell projects the levy will generate approximately $500,000 annually. A named spending priority is the expansion of the Steele Community Centre including a second NHL-regulation ice surface and upgraded hospitality facilities.
“We thank the Provincial Government for supporting tourism development in Gander and the central region. Gander is a unique and rapidly growing hub with so much opportunity. This strategic investment will help us define our tourism identity, enhance our brand, and share what makes our community and central Newfoundland such great places to visit.”
The policy was no rushed decision. Gander spent the better part of 2025 moving through research, drafting, and council approval before the MOU was formally signed on March 11, 2026, giving operators time to prepare ahead of the April 1 deadline.
The town has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with local tourism partners to govern how revenue is invested. This makes Gander one of the first municipalities in the province to formalize that accountability structure, positioning it as a model for other Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities considering similar measures.
The levy applies across the accommodation sector alongside registration requirements already in place under Newfoundland and Labrador's amended Tourist Accommodations Act, which came into force December 20, 2024. That provincial framework requires all operators to register with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation and compels platforms to remove unregistered listings and share operator data with the province.
‣ Accommodation Registration
‣ Statutes of Newfoundland and Labrador 2024 Amendments, Chapter 5
Whether Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com will remit the MAT directly on hosts' behalf in Gander (as they do in Toronto and Ottawa) has not yet been confirmed. Operators should monitor the Town of Gander's official channels for MAT registration procedures and platform remittance details before the April 1 deadline.
‣ Effective date: April 1, 2026
‣ Tax rate: 4% on overnight accommodations
‣ Registration required: Yes
‣ Night cap: N/A
‣ Penalty for non-compliance: Details not yet specified
‣ Platform responsibility: Yes, platform requirements noted
‣ Revenue use: Tourism initiatives and infrastructure projects
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