Being an escort* and selling sex are legal in Canada. Independent outcall escort or sex work where you visit a person’s hotel room or home is legal. If sex work is involved, communications must be made in private, in a hotel room or a home, so as not to place the “client” at risk for arrest under the sex buying criminal code provisions

Third party involvement in this arrangement is illegal as it can be considered procuring or living off the avails. Agencies often instruct their employees not to discuss prices with clients as the agency could be charged with ‘living off the avails.’

Often agencies tell clients that they are paying for the companionship or time spent with the escort, not the services, or will require an employee to sign a statement saying they will not offer sexual services and that anything else that happens is separate from the agency. However, the agency could still be charged as they thought it was likely to occur.