Are folks from Quebec allowed to buy PEI land or cottages? If so, is it difficult to have an Islander look after it?

Good morning;

Thank you for reaching out to Ask an Islander about buying land on PEI. As a non-resident, there are limits on how much land you can own in Prince Edward Island. The Lands Protection Act is legislation unique to Prince Edward Island and exists to preserve the Island’s limited land mass. With just over 1.4 million acres, PEI is Canada’s smallest province by land size. This law limits land ownership to protect farmland, shorelines and to ensure that Islanders continue to have access to real estate. 

As outlined in the legislation, a non-resident can purchase or hold up to 5 acres of land without requiring approval of the Island Regulatory & Appeals Commission. Additionally, non-residents pay 50 per cent more provincial property taxes than residents do. For real estate purposes, a non-resident is anyone who has not lived on PEI for 12 of the last 24 months or has not filed personal income taxes in Prince Edward Island during that time. Even if you’re a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you’ll be considered a non-resident if PEI has not been your primary residence recently.

For further information, please contact the Department of Finance or a local real estate agent. 

In PEI, many property management companies look after vacation properties on behalf of non-residents. I would suggest doing a Google search using the keywords "property management PEI" for a list of contacts.

All the best!

Verna Lynne