B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence regulations
Last updated on April 25, 2024B.C. has introduced new rules that restrict short-term rentals to principal residences in many B.C. communities, starting May 1, 2024.
On this page:
- Overview: 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
Effective May 1, 2024, the Province has implemented a provincial principal residence requirement in some areas of the province which limits short-term rentals to:
-
The host’s principal residence
-
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.
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 May 1, 2024. The communities listed either have a population of more than 10,000 people or are very close to one or more larger communities where the principal residence requirement applies.
Communities with principal residence requirement
Abbotsford
Anmore
Belcarra
Burnaby
Campbell River
Central Saanich
Chilliwack
Coldstream
Colwood
Comox
Coquitlam
Courtenay
Cranbrook
Cumberland
Delta
Duncan
Esquimalt
Highlands
Kamloops
Kelowna
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
Parksville
Penticton
Pitt Meadows
Port Alberni
Port Coquitlam
Port Moody
Powell River
Prince George
Prince Rupert
Richmond
Qualicum Beach
Saanich
Salmon Arm
Sechelt
Sidney
Sooke
Squamish
Summerland
Surrey
Terrace
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 to "opt-out" of the principal residence requirement if the community has a rental vacancy rate of 3% or more for two consecutive years.
- For 2024, a local government's resolution must have been submitted to the Province by February 29, 2024 to opt-out of the principal residence requirement before it comes into effect on May 1, 2024.
- In future, 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:
-
Certain strata-titled hotels or motels (See the information for strata-titled hotels or motels page)
-
Fractional ownership properties, where the owner may not use the property as a principal residence
-
Lodges, i.e., overnight accommodation provided by an operator of outdoor recreational activities (e.g. hunting, fishing, water sports etc.)
-
Living accommodations primarily for students or employees of an educational institution and that is owned or operated by the institution or a non-profit organization
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)
-
Mountain resorts, including regional/destination resorts, BC Parks resorts, private ski resort areas, and community ski resorts (listed below)
-
Resort Municipality Initiative communities
-
Regional district electoral areas, except the University of British Columbia and the University Endowment Land
-
Trust area under the Islands Trust Act
-
Farm land (BC Assessment farm class Class 9)
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. The list below does not reflect communities where the local government has chosen to opt-in, which will take effect November 1, 2024 (subject to government approvals).
Municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement
Alert Bay
Armstrong
Ashcroft
Barriere
Bowen Island Municipality
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
Kent
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
Osoyoos
Peachland
Pemberton
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
Tofino
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
-
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
-
Certain areas governed by special authorities will be able to make requests independently of the regional district board. These are:
-
Local trust committees in the Islands Trust
-
Cultus Lake Park Board
-
Subscribe
Subscribe for emailed updates to B.C.'s Short-term Rental Accommodations Act, regulations and related information.
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.