Canada Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 105 cities and regions in Canada. Select a location below for current permit requirements, tax obligations, and compliance details.

7 Active 2 Conditional 78 Restricted 1 Banned 17 None

Canada at a glance

Places tracked: 105 places: 7 active, 2 conditional, 78 restricted, 1 banned, 17 with no rules
License or registration: Required in 87 of 104 places
Tax on stays: Applies in 101 of 104 places
National law: There is no Canadian STR licence. National rules ›

Canada short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in Canada?

In 104 of the 105 places we track in Canada, short-term rentals are allowed, 80 of them with permit conditions or limits. They are banned in Saanich.

Do I need a license for a short-term rental in Canada?

87 of 104 places we track in Canada require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Is there a national short-term rental law in Canada?

There is no Canadian STR licence.

Which places in Canada have the strictest rules?

On our records: Saanich, British Columbia (province-wide), Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Tofino.

Regions in Canada

Canada Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Canada encompasses 105 tracked jurisdictions: 7 with active regulations, 2 where rentals are allowed with conditions, 78 with restrictions, 1 where STRs are banned. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

87 of 105 tracked jurisdictions in Canada require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 102 of 105 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Notable jurisdictions where short-term rentals are currently banned or heavily restricted include Saanich. Hosts should check these listings for details on specific prohibitions and any exceptions that may apply.

LawfulStay monitors Canada STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

SaanichBritish Columbia

Short-term rentals under 30 days are prohibited in every zone in Saanich

AbbotsfordBritish Columbia

Abbotsford allows short-term rentals only in the host's principal residence, with a city business licence and a provincial registration number

Ajax allows short-term rentals only in the operator's own principal residence, for up to 180 days a year and 28 days per stay, in most residential zones but not Country Residential

Aurora requires a yearly short-term rental licence ($415 new, $393 renewal in 2026) for any stay under 28 days

Located in a National Park with extremely tight housing supply; short-term rentals are highly restricted

BellevilleOntario

Belleville requires a yearly licence for every short-term rental: $1,000 for a whole home or $500 for a room in the owner's principal residence

BramptonOntario

Brampton allows short-term rentals only in the host's own principal residence, with a yearly City licence

BrantfordOntario

Brantford allows short-term rentals only in the operator's principal residence (an additional unit on the same property counts)

Brossard lets owners and tenants rent their own principal residence short-term, one reservation at a time, with a city certificate ($200, valid one year) and Quebec registration

BurlingtonOntario

You can only host short stays in Burlington in the home you live in, with a $300 city licence, for no more than 183 days a year

BurnabyBritish Columbia

Principal residence only, 90-night yearly cap (28 nights whole-home), city licence plus provincial registration

Since September 8, 2026, Caledon requires a short-term rental licence ($250 introductory, $500 after November 6, 2026)

One of Canada's most active and restricted mountain gateway markets

CharlottetownPrince Edward Island

Charlottetown limits STRs to the host's principal residence (no apartments, max 4 bedrooms) and requires both city and provincial licences

ChilliwackBritish Columbia

Chilliwack allows short-term rentals only on the same lot as the operator's principal residence: in the house, a secondary suite, a coach house or a garden suite

CoquitlamBritish Columbia

Coquitlam allows only room rentals inside a home where a permanent resident lives and runs the rental, such as a B&B or private room

DeltaBritish Columbia

The City of Delta has no short-term rental bylaw or licence

DrummondvilleQuebec

Drummondville has no zone that bans principal-residence rentals, so residents can rent their own home short-term anywhere in the city with Quebec registration

FrederictonNew Brunswick

In Fredericton's residential zones, a short-term rental (under 28 days) is allowed only in a dwelling the owner lives in, never in a secondary suite, and with at most 3 rooms in a single detached house

Principal-residence rentals are protected by Quebec law but need CITQ registration and a $230 City zoning certificate

Granby lets residents rent their own principal residence short-term to one group at a time; since June 2026 the zoning by-law says plainly that this is not a commercial lodging use, and no zone bans it

Grand Bend (Lambton Shores)Ontario

Allowed, with material limits.

Guelph licenses short-term rentals only for owners operating from their own principal residence in the city; tenants and corporations are excluded

HalifaxNova Scotia

Implemented strict primary residence rules to combat local housing shortages in residential suburbs, shifting investment units exclusively to commercial zones

HamiltonOntario

Principal-residence-only licensing for stays under 28 days; 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax applies to STRs from 1 July 2026

KamloopsBritish Columbia

Kamloops allows short-term rentals only on a property that is the registered owner's principal residence, one booking and one listing at a time, with a city business licence and a provincial registration number

KelownaBritish Columbia

Kelowna is the first B.C. city exempted from the provincial principal residence rule (from 1 June 2026), but only for the STR sub-zone

Lake CowichanBritish Columbia

Lake Cowichan (population under 10,000) is exempt from the Province's principal residence rule, but its zoning allows short-term vacation rentals only where a zone or site lists the use, so most homes cannot be rented…

Lambton ShoresOntario

Licence required for non-owner occupied STRs; max occupancy 10; 4% MAT tax; 24/7 responsible person required

Langley (City)British Columbia

The City of Langley (not the Township) has no short-term rental bylaw of its own; its zoning allows bed and breakfasts as a home occupation in single-detached (R1) and agricultural (A1) zones only

Laval lets residents rent their own principal residence short-term in any dwelling, with Quebec registration

Allowed, with material limits.

LongueuilQuebec

Longueuil allows short-term rental of your own principal residence in any dwelling in all three boroughs, with Quebec registration and a city certificate of conformity

Lévis used the 2023 change to Quebec law to ban Airbnb-style rental of principal residences in almost all residential zones (948 of 950), all rural zones and 73 mixed-use zones

Maple RidgeBritish Columbia

Maple Ridge licenses short-term rentals only in the owner's principal residence (or a long-term tenant's, with the owner's written approval), in houses, plexes, suites and garden suites but not townhouses or apartments

Markham has no short-term rental licence, and its zoning by-law does not permit short-term accommodation (stays under 30 days) in any zone without a site-specific Council approval

Milton requires a yearly short-term rental licence ($375) for stays of 28 days or less, and only the operator's principal residence qualifies

MississaugaOntario

Allowed, with material limits.

Dual provincial + municipal compliance makes Montreal one of Canada's more complex STR markets

NanaimoBritish Columbia

Nanaimo allows short-term rentals only in the operator's own primary residence, one per lot, with a city business licence ($165 a year) and a provincial registration number

New WestminsterBritish Columbia

New Westminster still allows short-term rentals only as a licensed bed and breakfast in the operator's own home, with a daily breakfast; whole-home or investor rentals are not permitted

NewmarketOntario

Newmarket requires a yearly short-term rental licence, and a permanent resident (owner or tenant) must live on the property and be in town while guests stay

Niagara FallsOntario

Niagara Falls, Ontario allows whole-home vacation rentals only in tourist and commercial zones, with a City licence

North BayOntario

North Bay requires a short-term rental licence ($600, then $275 a year)

North VancouverBritish Columbia

The City of North Vancouver allows short-term rentals only in the host's principal residence (lived in 183+ days a year) plus one suite or coach house on the same lot

OakvilleOntario

Oakville allows short-term rentals only in the host's own principal residence, with a yearly Town licence ($292 in 2026)

Oshawa allows short-term rentals only in the owner's own principal residence, with a yearly City licence ($100 plus a $50 application fee)

Ottawa's principal-residence requirement is strictly enforced

PickeringOntario

Pickering's zoning by-law allows a short-term rental only in the principal residence of the person who runs it and lives there, one per home, for stays of 28 days or less

Port CoquitlamBritish Columbia

Port Coquitlam allows short-term rentals only as up to two bedrooms (no kitchens) in the operator's principal residence, for at most four guests, in agricultural (A) and single-family (RS) zones

Prince GeorgeBritish Columbia

Prince George has no short-term rental bylaw of its own, and the Province's principal residence rule applies: a host may rent only their own home plus one suite or accessory dwelling unit, with a provincial registration…

British Columbia (province-wide)British Columbia

Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act; one of Canada's most comprehensive frameworks

Quebec CityQuebec

Quebec requires a provincial classification certificate under the Tourist Accommodation Act (E-14.2 / successor H-1.01)

ReginaSaskatchewan

Annual city licence required ($100 principal / $300 secondary); new secondary-property licences paused while vacancy is under 3%

RepentignyQuebec

Repentigny's zoning by-law says nothing about principal-residence rentals, so Quebec law lets residents rent their own home short-term anywhere in the city, with Quebec registration

RichmondBritish Columbia

Richmond allows only hosted short-term rentals: rooms in the operator's own principal residence, as a B&B (detached houses, up to three rooms and six guests) or Boarding and Lodging (up to two guests)

Richmond HillOntario

Richmond Hill has no short-term rental licence, but its 2025 zoning by-law allows short-term rentals only in the operator's own principal residence, for stays under 28 days

Saguenay (including Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie) lets residents rent their own principal residence short-term anywhere in the city, one group at a time, after getting a city avis de conformité and Quebec…

Saint-HyacintheQuebec

Saint-Hyacinthe does not ban renting your own principal residence short-term, so residents can do it in any home with Quebec registration

Saint-Jean-sur-RichelieuQuebec

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu allows residents to rent their own principal residence short-term anywhere in the city; the city completes the CITQ conformity form sent to its urban-planning department

Saint-JérômeQuebec

Saint-Jérôme's 2025 zoning by-law allows residents to rent their own principal residence short-term as an additional use of their home, with no city certificate needed since January 2026

Sarnia requires an annual short-term accommodation licence ($173.25 new, $123 renewal) with a fire inspection

SaskatoonSaskatchewan

Business licence required (homestay or short-term rental property); non-owner-occupied rentals need discretionary use approval in some residential zones

Sault Ste. MarieOntario

SherbrookeQuebec

Sherbrooke allows short-term rental of your own principal residence anywhere in the city since April 2023, with Quebec registration

St. CatharinesOntario

St. Catharines allows short-term rentals only in a home that is the operator's principal residence (owner or long-term tenant)

SurreyBritish Columbia

Owner-occupied principal residence only; city business licence ($358/yr) and provincial registration required

TerrebonneQuebec

Terrebonne, including Saint-Louis-de-Terrebonne, lets residents rent their own principal residence short-term in any home, except in three zones on the côte de Terrebonne and 40e Avenue where it is banned

TofinoBritish Columbia

A Permanent Resident must live on site, and a resident or licensed property manager in Tofino must be able to respond to guests or police within 2 hours

STR limited to principal residence; entire-home capped at 180 nights/year

Trois-RivièresQuebec

Trois-Rivières lets an occupant rent their own principal residence for at most 31 consecutive days, twice a year (up to 62 days a year in the Premiers quartiers and Trois-Rivières-sur-Saint-Laurent)

VancouverBritish Columbia

As of April 2026, ~4,969 active listings with 3,248 city business licences issued for 2026 and 69 suspended

Vaughan allows short-term rentals only in the host's principal residence (owner or tenant), with a City licence ($213 in 2026) and stays of 29 nights or fewer

VictoriaBritish Columbia

One of the most highly restricted markets in Canada

WaterlooOntario

In the City of Waterloo you can only short-term rent the home you live in

Welland requires an annual licence ($500 to apply, $75 to renew) for every short-term rental, with fire and electrical safety checks

WhistlerBritish Columbia

A premier global ski resort

Windsor allows short-term rentals only in a home that is the principal residence of at least one licence holder

WinnipegManitoba

Winnipeg licenses short-term rentals and, for anyone starting after 23 February 2023, allows only the operator's own primary residence

Calgary requires a business licence split into Primary Residence and Non-Primary Residence categories

KingstonOntario

City licence required for rentals of 30 days or less; 5% Municipal Accommodation Tax applies

Cape Breton Regional Municipality (Sydney)Nova Scotia

Short-term rentals in CBRM (Sydney) are allowed, including investment properties, but each must register with Nova Scotia's Short-term Rentals Registry with a CBRM zoning letter

EdmontonAlberta

Edmonton requires a Residential Rental Accommodation (Short-Term) business licence

Medicine HatAlberta

Allowed. The only duty is a notice or registration that nobody has to approve.

Canada (nationwide)

There is no Canadian STR licence

St. AlbertAlberta

St. Albert lets short-term rentals operate in residential and mixed-use areas without a development permit

St. John'sNewfoundland and Labrador

St. John's has no City short-term rental licence, but the Province requires every short-term rental, including a primary residence, to register for free and show its registration number in listings

WhitehorseYukon

Allowed. The only duty is a notice or registration that nobody has to approve.

Airdrie has no short-term rental bylaw, licence category, principal-residence rule or night cap

Barrie has no short-term rental licence, principal-residence rule or night cap

CambridgeOntario

Cambridge has no short-term rental by-law: no licence, no principal-residence rule and no night cap

Grande PrairieAlberta

Grande Prairie has no short-term rental bylaw, licence category, principal-residence rule or night cap

Greater SudburyOntario

Greater Sudbury has no short-term rental licence, registration, principal-residence rule or night cap; zoning permits short-term rentals in any home

Halton HillsOntario

Halton Hills has no short-term rental licence, principal-residence rule or night cap; its zoning by-law addresses only bed and breakfasts

KitchenerOntario

Kitchener does not license short-term rentals

LethbridgeAlberta

Lethbridge has no short-term rental bylaw, licence category, principal-residence rule or night cap

MonctonNew Brunswick

Moncton has no short-term rental licence, registry, principal-residence rule or night cap

Norfolk CountyOntario

Norfolk County has no short-term rental rules in force today

PeterboroughOntario

The City of Peterborough has no short-term rental by-law, licence, principal-residence rule or night cap

Red DeerAlberta

Red Deer has no short-term rental bylaw, licence category, principal-residence rule or night cap

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (Fort McMurray)Alberta

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, which governs Fort McMurray, has no short-term rental bylaw, licence category, principal-residence rule or night cap

Saint JohnNew Brunswick

Saint John has no short-term rental licence or zoning rule for whole-unit rentals; only bed and breakfasts are regulated, and they must be in the operator's principal residence

Strathcona County (Sherwood Park)Alberta

Strathcona County, which governs Sherwood Park, has no short-term rental bylaw, licence, principal-residence rule or night cap, and it does not require business licences at all

Thunder BayOntario

Thunder Bay has no short-term rental licence, zoning rule, principal-residence rule or night cap

Whitby has no short-term rental by-law, licence, principal-residence rule or night cap