As of May 2024, the BC Government will be adding its own short-term rental restrictions, which will be in addition to municipal and strata restrictions.
The main thrust of the new provincial government legislation is to keep short-term rentals within principal residences only.
Although the details are still evolving, below are the current highlights that have been provided so far, and are subject to change over time.
Highlights of BC’s New Short-Term Rental Rules:
- Short-term rentals are defined as accommodations provided to the public for a fee, for less than 90 consecutive days, through any channels (e.g. Airbnb, Vrbo, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, newspapers, etc.)
- Will require a provincial business license (in addition to any municipal license)
- Applies to all cities/towns in BC with over 10,000 residents (a list of relevant communities is provided at the BC website provided below)
- Exempts Principal Residences (PR) plus one secondary suite or laneway house (*This differs from City of Vancouver which exempts the PR main dwelling, but does NOT allow any PR secondary suites or laneway houses to be used as short-term rentals)
- Principal Residence is defined as the place where you live more than any other, and you can only have one in the same year (it’s about residence, not ownership)
- Tenants are allowed to do short-term rentals, unless their landlord has specifically denied short-term rentals in their lease or the municipality requires landlord approval
- Excludes resort towns which need tourist accommodation (e.g. Whistler, Big Mountain, etc.)
- Currently excludes first nations lease properties, Island Trust properties, fishing lodges, and agri-tourism properties but those are subject to change.
- Keep in mind that the BC government’s principal residence requirement would function as a “floor” meaning that local governments will still be able to have more restrictive bylaws depending on local needs, as many have already chosen to do so, and short-term rental hosts will continue to be required to follow local bylaws in place.
For the most up to date information, visit the BC government website: New rules for short-term rentals – Province of British Columbia
For more information or real estate advice, call/text Annette Saliken 604-369-6923 or email: annette@yourhometeam.com
