Short-term rental registration
Last updated on January 20, 2025Short-term rental hosts, platforms and strata hotel platforms in B.C. must register and pay annual registration fees. Learn more on this page.
On this page:
Registration overview
To help more families find a place to live, and to build on actions underway to make homes available for people, and not for speculators, the Province is launching a new short-term rental registry.
Anyone operating a short-term rental in B.C. and listing on a platform, which may include, for example, Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com, is required to register. This includes hosts operating outside areas with the principal residence requirement.
Hosts, platforms, and strata hotel platforms operating in B.C. must follow a simple online process to register with the Province by May 1, 2025. All applicants are encouraged to register early to ensure that their application can be processed before May 1, 2025. This will help to avoid disruptions to short-term rental operations.
Hosts will receive a 50% discount on fees if they register by February 28, 2025, or a 25% discount if they register by March 31, 2025. Registration fees will support the short-term rental enforcement program and help ensure homes are being used for people living and working in B.C.
Hosts who do not comply will:
- have their listings taken down, starting May 1, 2025
- have future bookings cancelled, starting June 1, 2025
Registration is required for all of the following (see definitions in the expandable menu):
Each short-term rental unit offered by a host
Short-term rentals are accommodations provided to members of the public in a host’s property, in exchange for money, for a period of less than 90 consecutive days. They are generally tourist accommodations that are often found in residential or resort areas. They may be advertised via online platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com, and may be advertised on other web forums, including Facebook Marketplace, or found in classified ads in newspapers.
Short-term rentals do not include accommodation that was intended to be provided for 90 consecutive days or longer, but which unexpectedly ends before 90 days have passed.
Short-term rental platforms with listings in B.C
Platforms, or platform services, refers to the facilitation of promotion and transactions for reservations and payments related to short-term rental accommodation services in British Columbia, provided by an online platform.
Strata hotels that advertise short-term rentals on their own platform
A strata-titled hotel or motel is a property in which accommodation is provided in a manner like that of a hotel or motel. Different owners own different strata lots within the complex. There is considerable variety in how strata-titled hotels and motels are set up, operated, and marketed.
Strata hotels typically operate as a ‘platform’, managing their own booking websites and facilitating transactions. They can also utilize larger platforms like Airbnb to support advertising, typically with listings under broad categories (e.g. waterfront, with jacuzzi tub, etc.).
Most property owners participate in strata hotel rental pools, though some may manage their units independently.
Failure to register
As of May 1, 2025, there are consequences for failing to register when required to do so. Short-term rental platforms will be required to verify that all short-term rental listings on their website have a valid registration number.
Where a short-term rental does not have a valid registration number, short-term rental platforms must take action to remove unregistered listings in two phases:
- From May 1 to 31, 2025, platforms must stop advertising any short-term rentals that do not have a valid registration number and prevent any new bookings
- Beginning June 1, 2025, and going forward, platforms must stop advertising any short-term rentals that do not have a valid registration number, prevent any new bookings, and cancel any existing bookings
Operating without a valid registration number may also result in administrative monetary penalties.
Register now
Prior to registering, please review the information on the following pages that explain the registration process and requirements for each applicant type. Applicants are encouraged to review these requirements carefully.
For the best user experience, we recommend using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari for your application to register.
Register as a host Register as a platform Register as a strata hotel platform
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Disclaimer
The information on this webpage on 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 due to the legislative process.