B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement
Last updated on January 28, 2025Short-term rentals are limited to principal residences in many B.C. communities. Learn more on this page.
On this page:
- Overview of the provincial principal residence requirement
- Principal residence location map
- List of communities where the principal residence requirement applies
- Exempt accommodation service providers
- List of exempt communities and land where the principal residence requirement does not apply
B.C. has a provincial principal residence requirement in some areas of the province which limits short-term rentals to:
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The home where the host lives for a longer period of time in a year than any other place
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Plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property
The principal residence requirement applies across B.C. in municipalities with a population of 10,000 and over and smaller neighbouring communities. In addition, communities have the opportunity to opt-in annually.
There are some exemptions from the principal residence requirement, including:
- Certain communities
- Types of land
- Types of accommodation service providers
The areas where the principal residence requirement applies may change annually, as some local governments can request to opt-in or opt-out of the principal residence requirement.
The Province's principal residence requirement is the minimum requirement, or a “floor". Local governments may prefer to have more restrictive short-term rental bylaws depending on local needs. Short-term rental hosts must continue to follow local bylaws in place.
Principal residence location map
Use our interactive map to find if your property is in an area where the principal residence requirement applies.
Note: This map is for your convenience only. Refer to the regulation for details.
List of communities where the principal residence requirement applies
The expandable menu below lists the communities where the principal residence requirement applies (as of November 1, 2024). These include:
- Communities with a population of over 10,000 people
- Communities that are very close to one or more larger communities where the principal residence requirement applies
- Communities that have chosen to opt-in to the principal residence requirement
Communities with principal residence requirement
Abbotsford
Anmore
Belcarra
Bowen Island Municipality
Burnaby
Campbell River
Central Saanich
Chilliwack
Coldstream
Colwood
Comox
Coquitlam
Courtenay
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area A (Mill Bay/Malahat)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area C (Cobble Hill)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area E (Cowichan Station/Sahtlam/Glenora)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area F (Cowichan Lake South/Skutz Falls)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area G (Saltair/Gulf Islands)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Electoral Area H (North Oyster/Diamond)
Cranbrook
Cumberland
Delta
Duncan
Esquimalt
Gabriola Island
Highlands
Kamloops
Kelowna
Kent
Lake Country
Langford
Langley (City)
Langley (Township)
Maple Ridge
Metchosin
Mission
Nanaimo
Nelson
New Westminster
North Cowichan
North Saanich
North Vancouver (City)
North Vancouver (District)
Oak Bay
Osoyoos
Parksville
Pemberton
Penticton
Pitt Meadows
Port Alberni
Port Coquitlam
Port Moody
Powell River
Prince George
Prince Rupert
Qualicum Beach
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Electoral Area D (Skaha East/Okanagan Falls)
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Electoral Area F (Okanagan Lake West/West Bench)
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Electoral Area I (Skaha West/Kaleden/Apex)
Richmond
Saanich
Salmon Arm
Sechelt
Sidney
Sooke
Strathcona Regional District Electoral Area B (Cortes Island)
Strathcona Regional District Electoral Area C (Discovery Island – Mainland Inlets)
Squamish
Summerland
Surrey
Terrace
Tofino
Vancouver
Vernon
Victoria
View Royal
West Vancouver
White Rock
Williams Lake
Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs)
The Province’s principal residence requirement applies to B&Bs. They may continue to operate if the owner of the B&B lives on the property.
Opt-out provision
Certain local governments can annually request by a resolution submitted to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs to "opt-out" of the principal residence requirement if the community has a rental vacancy rate of 3% or more for two consecutive years.
- A local government’s resolution must be submitted to the Province by March 31st of each year, and the change (if approved by the Province) will take effect November 1st of the same year.
Exempt accommodation service providers
The principal residence requirement is intended to turn more units that are being used as short-term rentals into homes for people. Some types of accommodation are exempt from the principal residence requirement because they were never meant to be long-term residences, or restrictions on their ownership or use make them unsuitable as permanent housing. These include:
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Certain strata-titled hotels or motels (See the Register as a strata hotel platform page)
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Fractional ownership properties, where the owner may not use the property as a principal residence
- Accommodation that is provided by an operator of outdoor recreational activities
- Student or employee housing that is owned or operated by schools or non-profits
List of exempt communities and land where the principal residence requirement does not apply
Some smaller communities and tourist destinations in B.C. are exempt from the Province’s principal residence requirement.
Types of land that are exempt from the principal residence requirement include:
- Municipalities with populations under 10,000 and not within 15 kilometres of a larger municipality (listed below)
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Mountain resorts, including regional/destination resorts, BC Parks resorts, private ski resort areas, and community ski resorts (listed below)
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Resort Municipality Initiative communities
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Regional district electoral areas, except the University of British Columbia and the University Endowment Land
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Trust area under the Islands Trust Act
The expandable menu below lists the communities and land where the Province's principal residence requirement will not apply, unless the local government chooses to opt-in.
Municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement
Alert Bay
Armstrong
Ashcroft
Barriere
Burns Lake
Cache Creek
Canal Flats
Castlegar
Chase
Chetwynd
Clearwater
Clinton
Creston
Daajing Giids
Dawson Creek
Enderby
Fernie
Fort St. James
Fort St. John
Fraser Lake
Fruitvale
Gibsons
Gold River
Golden
Grand Forks
Granisle
Greenwood
Harrison Hot Springs
Hazelton
Hope
Houston
Hudson’s Hope
Invermere
Kaslo
Keremeos
Kimberley
Kitimat
Ladysmith
Lake Cowichan
Lantzville
Lillooet
Lions Bay
Logan Lake
Lumby
Mackenzie
Masset
Merritt
Midway
Montrose
Nakusp
New Denver
New Hazelton
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
Oliver
Peachland
Port Alice
Port Clements
Port Edward
Port Hardy
Port McNeill
Pouce Coupe
Princeton
Quesnel
Revelstoke
Radium Hot Springs
Rossland
Salmo
Sayward
Sicamous
Silverton
Slocan
Smithers
Sparwood
Spallumcheen
Stewart
Sun Peaks
Taylor
Telkwa
Tahsis
Trail
Tumbler Ridge
Ucluelet
Valemount
Vanderhoof
Warfield
Wells
West Kelowna
Whistler
Zeballos
Ski resort areas exempt from the principal residence requirement
Apex Mountain Resort
Bear Mountain (Dawson Creek)
Big Bam Ski Hill (Taylor)
Big White Ski Resort
Blackcomb Mountain Resort
Clearwater Ski Hill
Crystal Mountain Resort
Cypress Mountain
Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Hill
Fernie Alpine Resort
Grouse Mountain
Harper Mountain
Hart Highlands Ski Hill (Prince George)
Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Hudson’s Hope
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Kimberley Alpine Resort
Little Mac Ski Hill (Mackenzie)
Manning Park
Mount Baldy Ski Area
Mount Cain Ski Resort
Mount Seymour
Mount Timothy Ski Hill
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Murray Ridge Ski Area
Panorama Mountain Village
Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort
Powder King Mountain Resort
Purden Ski Village
Red Mountain Resort
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Saddle Mountain Resort
Salmo Ski Hill
Sasquatch Mountain Resort
Shames Mountain Ski Area
Silver Star Mountain Resort
Summit Lake Ski Area
Sun Peaks Resort
Tabor Mountain Ski Resort
Troll Resort
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort
Wapiti Ski Club
Whistler Mountain Resort
Whitewater Ski Resort
View maps of B.C.’s mountain resort areas
Maps showing the boundaries of B.C.'s mountain resort areas are available within the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Regulation, B.C. Reg. 268/2023, as amended by OIC 197-2024.
Opt-in provision
Local governments can annually request by resolution submitted to the Minister of Housing to "opt-in" to the Province’s principal residence requirement:
- A local government’s resolution must be submitted to the Province by March 31st of each year for the change to take effect November 1st of the same year
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A request from a municipal council or regional district board cannot change the exempt status of certain areas, including a resort area or farm land
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Certain areas governed by special authorities will be able to make requests independently of the regional district board. These are:
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Local trust committees in the Islands Trust
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Cultus Lake Park Board
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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.