Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec · initial source review 29 July 2026 · page updated 17 October 2026
Virtual staging rules in Quebec
OACIQ advertising guidance updated 17 June 2026, reread 17 October 2026. Centris member rules remain unverified.
OACIQ requires clear, visible disclosure when AI imagery is used in advertising, including AI virtual staging. Its guideline gives “Image generated by artificial intelligence” as an example, not the only permitted sentence. Section 112 prohibits misleading advertising; Centris-specific instructions must be checked separately.
What you're actually bound by
The binding instrument is section 112 of the brokerage regulation, which bans false, misleading or incomplete advertising. OACIQ's advertising guideline is how the regulator says it will read that section, and the guideline is where virtual staging is named. Treat the guideline as the enforcement position, not as a separate law.
Practical editing guidance for Quebec
Section 112 of the brokerage regulation (no false, misleading or incomplete advertising) as OACIQ applies it in its advertising guideline, which names virtual staging.
Workflow and checks
- ✓Adding furniture and decor without misrepresenting the property, with clear, visible AI disclosure under OACIQ guidance.
- ✓Reviewing furniture-removal edits for accuracy and disclosing AI use; confirm Centris instructions separately.
- ✓Showing how a room could be laid out, as long as every altered image carries the label
Restrictions and edits to avoid
- ✕Publishing AI imagery without the clear, visible disclosure OACIQ calls for.
- ✕Moving or removing walls, or changing the size or shape of a room
- ✕Adding windows, doors, fireplaces, built-ins or any fixture that is not there
- ✕Changing the flooring, wall colour, countertops, cabinets or finishes
- ✕Fixing the view, the neighbouring house, power lines or the lot
- ✕Painting over damage, stains, cracks or anything a buyer would call a defect
- ✕Any image that is false, misleading or incomplete under s. 112 — the label does not rescue a photo that changes the property
Stage within the rule
Drag the handle. The walls, window and floor are the ones in the photo — only the furniture was added.
VirtuallyStage furnishes the room in your photo and leaves the walls, windows, floor and fixtures exactly as photographed — the accuracy test every rule on this page comes down to. Furniture removal works the same way. $35 for 8 photos ($4.38 each), no subscription, about 15 seconds a photo.
The actual text
Quoted verbatim. Anything marked regulator guidance is the regulator's stated interpretation rather than a binding section.
OACIQ names virtual staging as a disclosure trigger
regulator guidanceElle s'applique par exemple lorsque l'IA est utilisée pour : Modifier l'apparence d'un bien sans toucher la structure ou apporter des modifications substantielles (ex. : ajout de mobilier, transformer artificiellement une ambiance saisonnière ou éclairage); Effectuer du « virtual staging » ou des transformations visuelles
OACIQ, Advertising guideline, ref. 264697 · Last updated 17 June 2026 · Read the source
The line you cannot cross
regulator guidanceImages that fundamentally alter the actual appearance of a property violate the regulations and laws in force.
OACIQ, Advertising guideline, ref. 264697 · Last updated 17 June 2026 · Read the source
The tool doesn't take the blame — you do
regulator guidanceReal estate brokers remain responsible for the accuracy and truthfulness of advertisements, even when the ads are produced by AI or any other technological tool.
OACIQ, Advertising guideline, ref. 264697 · Last updated 17 June 2026 · Read the source
The binding provision underneath it
No licence holder or person promoting real estate brokerage services may in any manner make representations or engage in advertising that is false, misleading or incomplete or that leaves out a material fact.
Regulation respecting brokerage requirements…, CQLR c. C-73.2, r. 1, s. 112 · Updated to 1 April 2026 · Read the source
What I couldn't verify
- · OACIQ requires a clear, visible statement but presents the sentence as an example. Exact wording and on-image placement must not be asserted as universal Centris requirements.
- · The AI-specific example should not be applied automatically to manually edited imagery. Check OACIQ and the listing platform for the appropriate description.
- · Centris / APCIQ board rules on photos are not published publicly.
These stay listed until they're closed. If you have access to a document above, I'd genuinely like a copy — get in touch.
Quebec questions
Does Quebec require you to disclose virtual staging?
OACIQ requires clear, visible disclosure when AI imagery is used in advertising, including AI virtual staging. Its guideline gives “Image generated by artificial intelligence” as an example, not the only permitted sentence. Section 112 prohibits misleading advertising; Centris-specific instructions must be checked separately.
Does the disclosure apply if I stage manually instead of with AI?
OACIQ’s example sentence specifically identifies AI. For manual edits, describe what was actually changed and check the regulator and platform instructions; do not label a non-AI image as AI-generated.
What happens if a Quebec broker doesn't disclose?
The guideline is OACIQ's stated interpretation of section 112 of the brokerage regulation, which prohibits advertising that is false, misleading or incomplete. Section 112 is the binding provision — the guideline is how the regulator says it will apply it. OACIQ also states that brokers remain responsible for accuracy even when an ad was produced by AI, so pointing at the tool is not a defence.
Before you rely on this
This page is information, not legal advice. I'm a licensed REALTOR®, not a lawyer. Every rule below is quoted from a primary source and linked so you can read it yourself — and where a rule has not been verified, the gap is stated. Rules change, and board MLS rules aren't public, so confirm anything you're relying on with your own board or regulator before you act on it.
Citing this page:
VirtuallyStage, "Virtual Staging Rules in Quebec" (initial source review 29 July 2026, content updated 17 October 2026; see source-specific review notes). Researched by Ali Annabi, Licensed REALTOR®, Ontario. https://www.virtuallystage.com/virtual-staging-laws/quebec
Other jurisdictions
Where to go next
- Disclosure wording generator — copy-ready wording for Quebec, and for every other province.
- Virtual staging in Quebec: Montreal
- AI furniture removal — check removal-specific restrictions and inspect the surfaces revealed.
- Canadian virtual staging questions — the questions agents ask most, answered from the rules.
- Compare all 13 provinces and territories — side by side, with source editions and verification gaps.
This page is maintained by VirtuallyStage — AI virtual staging and furniture removal for real estate listings, built by a working realtor. We research these rules from the regulators and MLS rulebooks directly, and publish what we could not verify alongside what we could.