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Information for short-term rental hosts

Last updated on June 12, 2024

As of May 1, 2024, there are new requirements for operating a short-term rental in B.C. Learn about your responsibilities as a short-term rental host on this page.

On this page:

Host requirements

As of May 1, 2024, short-term rental hosts operating in B.C. will have to follow new requirements:

  • Provincial principal residence requirement, where applicable
  • Display local government business licence number, where applicable, on the short-term rental listing

By early 2025, the Province expects that short-term rental hosts will be required to:

  • Register in the provincial registry
  • Include a provincial registration number on short-term rental listings

Short-term rental host requirements may differ depending on the property type or location. Hosts are responsible for ensuring that they comply with both provincial and local rules. Understanding these requirements is the responsibility of the host. Not following the provincial rules may result in:

  • Administrative monetary penalties
  • Compliance orders, which can be filed in court
  • Removal of a short-term rental listing from a platform

Steps to consider

To ensure your short-term rental listing is compliant with provincial and local rules, hosts should consider steps including:

  1. Review the definition of a short-term rental to understand if the new provincial rules apply to you
  2. Check if the Province's principal residence requirement applies to your area. You can look up the location of your short-term rental property on the list or map of included communities on the Principal residence requirement page
  3. Check if the Province's principal residence requirement applies to your property by reviewing exemptions for certain types of properties or accommodation service providers
  4. Understand your local government's bylaws related to short-term rentals
  5. Update your short-term rental listing(s) to include a valid business licence number, if required by your local government, by May 1, 2024.
  6. Once the Province's short-term rental registry launches in 2025, register your short-term rental listing(s) within six months
  7. Update your short-term rental listing(s) with a valid registration number once registered to continue operating

If hosts have a legal question, they may wish to consult a lawyer.

Principal residence requirement 

Effective May 1, 2024, the Province has implemented a provincial principal residence requirement which will limit short-term rentals to:

Understand where the principal residence requirement applies

The Province’s principal residence requirement does not apply everywhere in B.C. or to every type of accommodation. To understand whether the Province’s principal residence requirement applies to a short-term rental, refer to the Principal residence requirement page to:

Display of business licence number

As of May 1, 2024, short-term rental hosts must display a valid business licence number on their listing in areas where a business licence is required by the local government.

If a platform does not have a field for business licence numbers, hosts can report this to the Province and temporarily put their business licence number in the description of their listing.

If a short-term rental is exempt from the Province’s principal residence requirement, hosts may still require a business licence from their local government.

Information about business licencing is available through your local government.

Local government bylaws

Hosts are responsible for following local bylaws, including bylaws related to short-term rentals. For example, some local governments regulate things, such as:

  • Types of units that can be used for short-term rentals
  • Maximum number of short-term rentals in a community
  • Maximum number of nights a short-term rental unit may be rented per year
  • Maximum number of guests per unit
  • Parking requirements
  • Fire and safety standards

Contact your local government to find out what bylaws apply to you.

Removal of platform listings

Local governments can request that a platform cease providing platform services in respect of a listing (for example, remove the listing and cancel bookings associated with the listing) for not following local business licence requirements. Local governments are expected to follow their own compliance processes first, ensuring procedural fairness, before requesting the removal of a listing from a platform.  

The steps for requesting a listing to be removed are: 

  • Local governments must send a notice of non-compliance with a business licence requirement to hosts and platforms prior to requesting the platform remove a listing 

  • Hosts may contact their local government for more information about a notice of non-compliance or to take steps to come into compliance with a local government business licence requirement. 

  • A local government can then issue a request to the platform to cease providing platform services (for example, remove the listing and cancel all bookings) within a period of 5 to 90 days after the notice is delivered 

  • Platforms will have five days from receiving the request to cease providing platform services. 

​The director of the provincial compliance and enforcement unit may also issue compliance orders for the removal of listings that do not comply with provincial requirements. 

Provincial registry

By early 2025, the Province expects to establish a provincial short-term rental registry. All short-term rental hosts and platforms are required to register.

Detailed information on the registration process will be available closer to the launch of registry.

Helpful links

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Disclaimer 

The information on this webpage about the Province of British Columbia’s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act and regulations is provided for the user’s convenience as a basic starting point. It is not a substitute for getting legal advice or other professional advice. If there is a conflict between the information on this webpage and the legislation or regulations, the legislation and regulations prevail. The interpretation of legislation is also affected by court decisions. This information may be subject to change, including changes due to the legislative process. 

Please contact ServiceBC if you have questions about B.C.'s new short-term rental legislation.

  • ServiceBC is open Mon to Fri from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm with help available on the phone, toll free, in 140 languages and for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.