British Columbia Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Rules 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental rules for 23 places in British Columbia, Canada. Select a place below for its permit, tax and other rules, or see all of Canada.

22 Restricted 1 Banned

British Columbia at a glance

Places tracked: 23 places: 22 restricted, 1 banned
License or registration: Required in all 22 local places
Tax on stays: Applies in all 22 local places
Regional law: Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act; one of Canada's most comprehensive frameworks. Regional rules ›

British Columbia short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in British Columbia?

In 22 of the 23 places we track in British Columbia, short-term rentals are allowed, all with permit conditions or limits. They are banned in Saanich.

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

All 22 local places we track in British Columbia require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Is there a regional short-term rental law in British Columbia?

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

Which places in British Columbia have the strictest rules?

On our records: Saanich, Vancouver, Tofino, Whistler, Victoria, Lake Cowichan.

British Columbia Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in British Columbia encompasses 23 tracked jurisdictions: 22 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.

All 23 tracked jurisdictions in British Columbia 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 23 of 23 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 British Columbia 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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…

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

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

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 Westminster

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

North Vancouver

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

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 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)

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

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)

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

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

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

One of the most highly restricted markets in Canada

A premier global ski resort