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Register as a platform

Last updated on December 16, 2025

Short-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: 

Platform registration overview

Short-term rental platforms must register with the provincial short-term rental registry.

Understanding provincial requirements is the responsibility of the platform. Non-compliance with the requirements may result in penalties, such as:

  • Administrative monetary penalties, which can start at up to $10,000 per day
  • Compliance orders, which can be filed in court

To operate in B.C., platforms must register and follow all platform requirements.

For information on strata-hotel platform registration, visit the strata-hotel platform registration page.

How to register

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

  1. Select a representative to communicate with the Province. This person will be responsible for representing the platform regarding regulatory requirements
  2. Review the Registration Checklist and Fees in the sections below
  3. Click “Apply now” on this page and log in using your existing Premium BC Registries account.
  4. Fill out and submit your application by paying the fee using a credit card or pre-authorized debit (PAD)
  5. View your dashboard to see the status of your application
  6. Receive an email notification when your application has been approved or denied
  7. View your dashboard to see your registration number

Apply now

Apply now as a platform

Platform registry terms and conditions

Check your application status

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

Check your platform application status

What is a short-term rental platform?

All platforms that meet the definition of platform service provider and platform service under the Act are considered a platform and are subject to the platform requirements.

This means any short-term rental platform that is facilitating both the promotion of and transactions for reservations and payments for short-term rentals in B.C. must comply with the provincial requirements, including registering with the province.

If you do not accept payment or process transactions for reservations, you are not a platform and do not need to comply with provincial platform requirements.

Platforms are classified by the number of listings on the platform:

  • Major platforms: 1000 or more listings
  • Medium platforms: 250 to 999 listings
  • Minor platforms: less than 250 listings
  • Strata hotel platforms: see Strata Hotel Registration for more information

Fees

Platforms must pay an annual fee to register. Platforms that operate more than one website are only required to submit a single registration application. Fees will not be refunded if an application is denied.

Type of Platform

Annual fee + $1.50 service fee

Major Platform (1000 or more listings)

$5000

Medium Platform (250 to 999 listings)

$600

Minor Platform (under 250 listings)

$600

Platform licensed by Consumer Protection BC as a travel wholesaler under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act and Travel Industry Regulation 

$0 (no fee)

After you apply

The expandable menu below shows processes for different application outcomes.

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Approved registration

Once registration is approved, platforms are required to:

 

Notice of Consideration

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

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

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 operate your short-term rental platform
  • You received a Notice of Consideration and cannot provide all the documents 
  • 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 
  • Other scenarios will be considered on a case-by-case basis 

You may not be eligible if:

  • Your application was refused 
  • Your registration was cancelled 

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 platform registered February 20, the renewal registration window will open on January 10).  

A renewal can be denied when a platform has:

Registration checklist

Make sure you have the following information to apply for registration:

  1. Name and contact information of the platform representative
  2. Business information, including business number and mailing address
  3. Platform details, including website(s) and current number of listings in B.C.
  4. Email addresses to receive notice of non-compliance and takedown requests from local governments

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

 

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.

 

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