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Register as a host

Last updated on December 24, 2025

 

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Host registration overview

Short-term rental hosts must register their short-term rentals with the provincial short-term rental registry to operate in B.C.

Registration must be completed by one of the following people who is responsible for operating the short-term rental:

  • A property host: A person who is legally entitled to possession of a property where short-term rental accommodation services are provided, and who has responsibility for arranging the short-term rental offer
    • A co-host who is responsible for managing the short-term rental on behalf of the property host can be added as a required secondary contact during registration
    • A co-host who only assists the property manager can be added as an optional secondary contact
  • A property manager: Defined as "supplier host" in legislation, refers to a person who, acting on behalf of the property host or under their direction, is responsible for handling short-term rental arrangements, including managing the rental services
    • The property manager must provide the property host’s information, including their name, contact information, date of birth, and Social Insurance Number
    • ​​​​If a property manager incorrectly applies as a property host, they will need to submit a new application and may be eligible for a refund

Each short-term rental unit must be registered. Hosts only need one registration for each unit, even if the unit has multiple listings (including separate bedrooms in the same unit).  

If a host provides short-term rentals in more than one unit on the property (like a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit), each unit needs its own registration. Units that don’t have all the features of a housing unit – like a kitchen – still need to register. This includes bedrooms or guest suites.  

​How to register

Follow these steps to register a short-term rental unit:

1. Review the information below on registering as a host. Also, please refer to our Short-Term Rental Registration Guide for Hosts (PDF,1.5MB)

2. Gather your required information and documents

3. Review the terms and conditions of registration

4. Log-in and create a BC Registries Account​

  • If you have an ID issued in Canada:
    • ​​Before getting started, set up your BC Services Card Account using your government-issued ID.
    • Click "Apply now" below and log-in using your existing BC Registries account. If you do not have an existing account, you will be prompted to create one using your BC Services Card Account  
  • Don't have an ID issued in Canada?
    • ​If you do not have an existing BC Registries account, you will first need to create a BC Registries account using a BCeID and two-factor authentication. Note: Approximate processing time is 8-10 days and you will be required to submit a notarized identity affidavit to create your account. 
    • Once your BC Registries Account has been approved and you receive the confirmation email, click "Apply now" on this page to log in using your BCeID and two-factor authentication

5. Complete the application form to register your short-term rental 

  • Enter your short-term rental address to confirm the supporting documentation you will need to provide to register
  • Enter all required information and upload your supporting documents
  • Pay a fee by credit card and submit your application

6. Receive an email notification when your application has been approved or denied

7. View your dashboard to see your registration number or check the status of your registration

8. Follow the instructions in your registration letter and add the following information to all of your short-term rental listings:

  • your registration number 
  • local government business license number (if required), and
  • the address associated with your registration

Apply now

Host registry terms and conditions

Check your host application

Applicants can log-in to view the status of their application at any time.

Check your host application status

Eligibility

To register and operate a short-term rental in B.C., hosts are required to:

Once registered, hosts must:

  • Display their provincial registration number on their listing by May 1, 2025
  • Display a valid business licence number on their listing in areas where a business licence is required by the local government

Principal residence requirement

In some areas of B.C., short-term rentals are limited to:

Find more information, including an interactive principal residence location map, on the provincial principal residence requirement page.

Principal residence requirement examples

The following are examples that help explain how the principal residence requirement applies. Short-term rentals may also need to follow other rules, like local government bylaws or the terms of tenancy agreements, in addition to the principal residence requirement.

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Communities where the principal residence requirement applies:

  • Monica owns her home. She lives on the main floor of the house – this is her principal residence. She also has a basement suite and a laneway home on her property. Monica can provide short-term rental accommodations:
    • on the main floor (her principal residence) when she is away on vacation
    • in the bedrooms on the main floor at any time
    • in either the basement suite or the laneway house, but not both
  • Kamal lives in a rented basement suite – this is his principal residence. Kamal can provide short-term rental accommodations:
    • in the basement suite (his principal residence) when he is on vacation
    • in one or more bedrooms at any time
  • Mei lives in a two-bedroom rented apartment  – this is her principal residence. She also owns a cabin in a community where the principal residence requirement does not apply. Mei can provide short-term rental accommodations:
    • in her entire apartment when she travels for work
    • in the second bedroom at any time
    • at the cabin at any time
  • Alex owns his home – this is his principal residence. He also owns five condo units in the same city.
    • Alex can provide short-term rental accommodations in his home
    • Alex cannot provide short-term rental accommodations at any of the condo units
 

Communities where the principal residence requirement does not apply:

  • James owns three apartments in the same town and lives in one of them:
    • James can provide short-term rental accommodations in any of his apartments at any time
  • Sara owns a cabin that she uses for only part of the year:
    • Sara can provide short-term rental accommodations in her cabin at any time

 

Registration exemptions

Short-term rental hosts do not have to register if they provide:

Fees

Hosts must pay an annual fee to register their short-term rental whether you live in the short-term rental or not. Fees will not be refunded if an application is denied.

Type of short-term rental

Annual Fee + $1.50 service fee

Register a short-term rental where you live, including:

  • your entire home while you are away
  • bedroom(s) in your home

$100

Register a short-term rental where you do not live in, including:

  • a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property as your home
  • a secondary property, in an area where the principal residence requirement does not apply
  • a strata hotel unit that you list on a third-party platform (i.e., not the strata hotel's own website)

$450

Required information

Hosts must provide the following information to apply for registration:

  • Physical property address of the short-term rental and details of the short-term rental offer, including Parcel identifier (PID), number of bedrooms, and ownership type

  • Property host name, contact details, Social Insurance Number, and date of birth

  • Co-host name and contact details (if applicable)

  • Property manager name, contact details, and GST # (if applicable)

If there is a change in a host’s information used for registration (e.g., name, address), they are required to notify the Registrar of the change within 14 days. To make a change to your registration, please contact the registry team email at Registry.STR@gov.bc.ca

Required documents

Hosts may be required to provide the following documents to apply to register (Note: documents must be uploaded as PDF, JPG, or JPEG files):

Proof of principal residence

To register a short-term rental in an area where the principal residence requirement applies, hosts must provide documentation that proves the short-term rental is in:

The documents must be current and the name and address on the documents must match the name of the property host and the address of the short-term rental.

Hosts must submit the following documents for proof of principal residence:

  • One proof of identity (choose one):
    • British Columbia Driver’s Licence
    • British Columbia Services Card
    • Combined BC Driver's Licence and Services Card
    • British Columbia Identification Card
  • At least two supporting documents selected from the following:
    • A land title certificate or copy of a land title search 
    • Property Assessment Notice from BC Assessment Authority (current year) — Please upload the official mailed assessment notice. Screenshots or online look-ups from the BC Assessment website will not be accepted.
    • ICBC Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence (Include all pages of the entire document)
    • Summary of Home Insurance/Certificate of Insurance (Entire document)
    • Property Tax Notice
    • Speculation and Vacancy Tax Confirmation (Letter not confirmation email)
    • Home Owner Grant Confirmation (Letter or confirmation email including Confirmation number)
    • Affidavit stating legal name and principal residence
    • Banking statement or void cheque
    • Official notice from government agency or Crown corporation (e.g., CRA letter, jury duty, voting card, criminal record check)
    • Other documentation (as assessed by the Registrar)
  • If the property host is a tenant, they must submit one of the following, which counts towards their two supporting documents above:
    • Residential tenancy (rental) agreement
    • Notice of rent increase from the landlord (dated within the last year)

Principal residence exemptions

Some types of short-term rentals are exempt from the principal residence requirement. To apply for an exemption to the principal residence requirement, proof must be provided that an exemption applies. The following documents may be required to be submitted during registration: 

  • Fractional ownership exemption: Copies of (1) the fractional ownership agreement that prohibits the use of the property as a principal residence by any person, (2) the property title that demonstrates the property's fractional interest, and (3) government identification for each registered owner showing their home address. For more information on the fractional ownership exemption, see the Fractional Ownership Exemption Policy Guidance (PDF, 586.9KB).
  • Farm land (BC Assessment Farm Class 9) exemption: A copy of the current year property assessment or assessment roll report.
  • Strata hotel exemption: Relevant information or documents for each strata hotel exemption category is outlined in the expandable menu below. Please title the documents with the category of exemption you are applying for.

Additional Notes:

  • The requirement to apply and demonstrate and exemption only applies to hosts listing their unit on a third-party platform (i.e., not the strata hotel's own booking platform)
  • Before an individual strata hotel platform should register first through the strata hotel platform registration
  • To meet a strata hotel exemption, the strata hotel must be operating in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel. For more information on what it means to operate in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel, see the Strata Hotel Policy Guidance (PDF, 464.7KB)
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Category 1: Strata hotel with a staffed front desk, housekeeping services, and a platform

To qualify for this principal residence exemption as a host in a strata hotel, you must provide proof that: 

  1. Before December 8, 2023, accommodation was being provided in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel, and 
  2. Since December 8, 2023, the strata hotel has and continues to have all the following: 
  • A staffed front desk located on-site,
  • Housekeeping services for overnight accommodations provided by employees or contractors, and 
  • An online platform exclusively for booking and paying for short-term rentals at the property
 

Category 2: Strata hotel with two or more strata lots that cannot be used as a principal residence

To qualify for this principal residence exemption as a host in a strata hotel, you must provide proof that your business operates in a manner similiar to a hotel or motel, and that: 

  1. Before December 8, 2023, accommodation was being provided in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel, and 
  2. Since December 8, 2023, at least two strata lots on the property cannot be used as a principal residence due to one of the following restrictions: 
  • Local government zoning bylaws, 
  • First Nation laws,
  • A rental management agreement between the property manager and strata lot owners, or 
  • A restrictive covenant or a covenant under section 219 of the Land Title Act. 
 

Category 3: New strata hotel development since December 2023

To qualify for this principal residence exemption as a host in a strata hotel, you must provide proof that: 

  1. The strata hotel’s occupancy date was on or after December 8, 2023, and
  2. Both of the following apply:
  • The strata hotel has all the following services that are provided in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel: 
    • A staffed front desk located on-site,
    • Housekeeping services for overnight accommodations provided by employees or contractors, and 
    • An online platform exclusively for booking and paying for short-term rentals at the property
  • At least two strata lots on the property cannot be used as a principal residence due to one of the following restrictions: 
    • Local government zoning bylaws, 
    • First Nations laws,
    • A rental management agreement between the property manager and strata lot owners, or 
    • A restrictive covenant or a covenant under section 219 of the Land Title Act

 

Local government business licence

Some local governments require short-term rental hosts to have a business licence. If a business licence is required by the local government, a copy of the valid business licence must be uploaded as part of your application or registration renewal.

After you apply

The expandable menu below shows processes for different application outcomes.

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Approved registration

Once registration is approved, hosts will receive a unique registration number for their short-term rental. Hosts are required to:

  • Update their short-term rental listing(s) to include the valid registration number (and a local government business licence number, if required)
  • Make sure the address on their short-term rental listing(s) exactly matches the address associated with the registration so platforms can successfully validate the registration number
  • Notify the Registrar if there is any change to their registration information within 14 days
  • Comply with the terms and conditions of registration
 

Notice of Consideration

An examiner reviews applications to determine if they meet registration requirements laid out in the Act.

If it appears your application does not meet all the registration requirements you will receive a Notice of Consideration through email which outlines all documentation and information that is missing as part of the registration application.

You will have eight days from the date of the email to provide additional information, such as additional proof of principal residence.

Please log on to the Registry Dashboard to provide the required documents and submissions.

If the necessary information is not received by the deadline, your application may be refused, cancelled, or suspended without further notice.

Please be aware that a final decision may not be reached until after the deadline has passed.

 

Refused, cancelled, or suspended applications

If your application for a short-term rental registration has been refused, suspended, or cancelled, you must stop operating your short-term rental.

If you need to request a review of the decision regarding your application for registration  the request must be submitted within 14 days of receiving the decision on the Application for Review form.

The reasons for which an Application for Review can be made are listed below. 

To apply for a review of your decision: 

  • Fill out and submit an Application for Review Form  
  • Provide all supporting documents and evidence with your review form
  • Acceptable file formats are pdf, jpeg, jpg, png, doc 

A registrar’s decision can only be reviewed in these situations: 

  • New important information: There is new evidence that is significant and directly affects the decision. 
  • Unexpected circumstances: The person couldn’t submit their documents or information because of unexpected circumstances outside their control. 
  • Technical Issue: A technical error or irregularity happened that impacted the outcome of the decision. 
  • Issue not determined: The registrar did not decide on a matter they were required to address. 

After you submit an Application for Review, your original registration decision may be confirmed, varied or overturned.

The Application for Review may be dismissed if it is incomplete or there is no evidence or documents provided.   

 

Withdrawing and Refunds

Some reasons you may wish to voluntarily withdraw your application or registration: 

  • You no longer want to list a short-term rental 
  • You have moved and the rental unit is no longer your principal residence 
  • You sold the rental unit, and you are no longer the property host 
  • You received a Notice of Consideration and cannot provide all the documents 
  • Your local government has updated bylaws, and you are no longer able to have a short-term rental unit 
  • You submitted a duplicate application and only require one registration 

You may be eligible to receive a refund with your withdrawal request. See the table below for eligibility. If you are eligible for a withdrawal and refund request fill out our refund form found here: Refund Form

If you are requesting to withdraw your application or registration and you are not requesting a refund, please send an email with the following information: 

  • Email: STRBranch@gov.bc.ca 
  • Subject line: Withdrawal request – [application or registration number] 

There are some cases where you may be eligible for a refund. The table below outlines the common situations that are typically eligible for a refund. 

You may be eligible if:

  • The Registrar pre-authorized the refund 
  • You are withdrawing your application before a decision has been made 
  • You are exempt from the registration requirement 
  • You submitted a duplicate application by accident 
  • Your local bylaw changed, and you are no longer eligible to have a short-term rental 
  • Other scenarios will be considered on a case-by-case basis 

You many not be eligible if:

  • Your application was refused 
  • Your registration was cancelled 
  • You moved and need to cancel your registration 
  • You sold your property and need to cancel your registration 

Please note that if you request a full refund, your registration number will be cancelled.  

For a refund request fill out our refund form found here: Refund Form

 

Registration renewal

All registrations must be renewed annually​. 

  • The registration window begins 40 days before a registration expires (e.g., if a host registered February 20, the renewal registration window will open on January 10).  

  • Notifications to renew are provided via email 40 days and 14 and 1 day before registration expires. 

 

New for 2026 registrations and renewals

  • Only one registration is required per short-term rental unit – see the Host Registration Overview for more information 
  • A new registration is not required if you change which bedrooms are being listed, or if you change from listing a bedroom to an entire unit, if the unit is already registered.  
  • A new registration is required if a host changes their legal name, legal business name or short-term rental address.  
  • Seasonal accommodations are exempt from registration – See the Seasonal Accommodation Policy Guidance (PDF, 1 MB)  
  • The accepted principal residence documentation has changed – see Proof of Principal Residence for more information 
  • Property Managers who incorrectly applied as as a property host in 2025 should make a new application for 2026, and provide the property host’s information (including name, contact information, date of birth, and Social Insurance Number).  
  • Strata hotel platforms are strongly encouraged to register through the strata hotel platform registration before individual hosts within the strata hotel to simplify the process for those hosts to claim the principal residence exemption. See the Strata Hotel Policy Guidance (PDF, 464.7KB) for more information.  
    • Strata hotel platforms are encouraged to provide a list of all units associated with their strata hotel. These can be submitted via document upload at time of application or renewal. 

A renewal can be denied when a host has:

Hosts must submit a new application if key registration information changes, including when:

  • there is a new property host
  • a registered short-term rental is no longer the host's principal residence

If hosts have a legal question, they may wish to consult a lawyer. The Registrar cannot provide legal advice.

Apply now

Host registry terms and conditions

Not following provincial rules may result in:

  • Administrative monetary penalties
  • Compliance orders, which can be filed in court
  • Removal of a short-term rental listing from a platform

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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.

If you have questions about B.C.'s short-term rental legislation, please contact the Service BC Contact Center at 1-833-828-2240.

  • The Service BC Contact Center is available Mon to Fri from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, with help available on the phone, toll free, in 140 languages and for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.
  • You may also email the short-term rental registry team at Registry.STR@gov.bc.ca