Short-term rental strata hotel platforms must register to operate in B.C. Learn about registering as a strata hotel platform operating in B.C. on this page.
On this page:
By May 1, 2025, a strata hotel that has its own website where guests can book a short-term accommodation must be registered with the provincial short-term rental registry.
While required to register, strata hotel platforms are exempt from most platform requirements, including validation of registration numbers and monthly data sharing.
Strata hotel platforms are encouraged to register before individual hosts within the strata hotel to simplify the process for those hosts to claim the strata hotel principal residence exemption.
Follow these steps to register a strata hotel platform:
Apply now as a strata hotel to register.
Strata hotel terms and conditions
Applicants can log-in to view the status of their application at any time.
Check strata hotel application status
Strata hotel platforms are required to:
Not following provincial rules may result in:
To operate in B.C., strata hotel platforms must ensure the strata hotel property qualifies for one of three strata hotel principal residence exemptions.
In some areas of B.C., short-term rental hosts must comply with the principal residence requirement.
Find more information, including an interactive principal residence location map, on the provincial principal residence requirement page.
Hosts with short-term rental units within a registered strata hotel that advertise only through the strata hotel's own platform are exempt from the requirement to register.
Hosts with short-term rental units within a strata hotel who manage their short-term rental independently and advertise on a third-party platform such as, for example, Airbnb, Expedia or Booking.com, must register their listing as a host and pay an annual fee.
If a strata hotel is located in an area subject to the provincial principal residence requirement, the strata hotel must demonstrate that it meets one of the three categories of principal residence exemptions to continue to operate.​
As part of the registration, you will be asked to identify the category of strata hotel you are applying for, and to provide the URL to your platform used exclusively for booking and paying for short-term rentals at the property, your Canada Revenue Agency number, and the list of amenities and professional services at your strata hotel.
Supporting documentation must also be uploaded to your application to demonstrate the strata hotel category you are applying for and that your strata hotel meets the characteristics to be considered operating like a hotel or motel as outlined in the Hotel-Like Policy Guidance (PDF, 559 KB). This may include documents such as:
If a strata hotel is confirmed exempt from the principal residence requirement this exemption applies to the whole building.
For more information on what it means to be operating in a manner similar to that of a hotel or motel, see the Hotel-Like Policy Guidance (PDF, 559 KB).
The three categories of strata hotel exemptions are identified in the expandable menu below:
Category 1: Strata hotel with a staffed front desk, housekeeping services, and a platform
To qualify for this principal residence exemption, the applicant must provide proof that:
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, the applicant must provide proof that:
Category 3: New strata hotel development since December 2023
To qualify for this principal residence exemption as a host in a strata hotel, the applicant must provide proof that:
December 8, 2023 is the day after the regulation that described exemptions to the principal residence requirement for strata hotels was deposited.
Strata hotels created after December 8, 2023 must meet the Category 3 strata hotel principal residence exemption requirements.
Strata hotels must pay an annual fee to register. A single registration is required for the entire strata hotel, regardless of the number of units. Fees will not be refunded if an application is denied.
Activity |
Annual fee + $1.50 service fee |
---|---|
Strata hotel platform fee |
$600.00 |
Strata hotels that are in a community where the principal residence requirement applies must upload documents in their registration application that prove they meet a strata hotel principal residence exemption type.
If there is a change in a strata hotel platform’s information used for registration (e.g., name, address), they are required to notify the Registrar of the change within 14 days.
The expandable menu below shows processes for different application outcomes.
Approved registration
Once a registration is approved, the applicant will receive a registration number for the strata hotel. This registration number should be used when listing on third-party platforms.
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 has been refused, suspended, or cancelled, you must stop operating your strata hotel platform.
If you believe the decision to refuse, suspend, or cancel your application was made incorrectly or if new evidence or circumstances have arisen, in limited circumstances, you may apply for a review of your decision within 14 days of the date of the original decision.
An application for review of a decision will only be considered where:
Please note that following the review, the original decision you received may not change.
To apply for a review of your decision:
Your application will only be considered to have been received once the Application for Review form and all relevant supporting documentation have been provided.
All registrations must be renewed annually​. A renewal can be denied when a strata hotel platform has:
Make sure you have the following information to apply for registration:
If strata hotels have a legal question, they may wish to consult a lawyer. The Registrar cannot provide legal advice
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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.