Due to changes made by the Provincial Government of BC, as of May 1, 2024, there are new requirements for BC short-term rental hosts and short-term rental platforms operating in B.C.
The new rules apply to municipalities that have a population of 10,000 and over and in smaller neighbouring communities. Municipalities that are not automatically included in the changes can choose to opt into the changes. Click here to see if your city is included.
Host Requirements for BC Short-Term Rental Properties
Some of these changes that Hosts are required to follow are:
- They can only use their principal residence as a short-term rental
- They must display their business licence number on the short-term rental listing
However, there are some exemptions from the principal residence requirement, including:
- Certain communities
- Types of accommodation service providers
- Certain strata-titled hotels or motels
- Time shares
- Home exchanges
- Fractional ownership
- Lodges
- Accommodation primarily for students or employees
- Strata guest suites
- Types of Land
- Municipalities with less than 10,000 people and not within 15km of a larger municiplaity
- Mountain Resorts
- Resort Municipality Initiative Communities
- Regional district electoral areas except UBC and The University Endowment Lands
- Farm Land
- Trust area under the Islands Trust Act
Short-term rental hosts must also ensure that they are complying with any municipal guidelines for short-term rentals in addition to those set out by the Province.
Future Changes
The Province has said by early 2025 short-term rental hosts will be required to:
- Register in the provincial registry
- This will need to be done within 6-months of the registry launching
- Include a provincial registration number on short-term rental listings
Non-Compliance
Failure to comply with the new short-term rental rules could result in:
- Monetary penalties
- Compliance orders, which can be filed in court
- Short-term rental listing being removed from online platforms
If you are thinking of selling a property that is currently used as a short-term rental contact Your Two Awesome Realtors for more information!
