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Register as a strata hotel platform

Last updated on December 16, 2025

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:

Strata hotel platform registration overview

A strata hotel that has its own website where guests can book a short-term accommodation must register its platform 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.

How to register

Strata hotel platforms are strongly encouraged to register before individual hosts within the strata hotel. Registration of a unit in the hotel before the platform is registered may be onerous for the host and result in delays.

Follow these steps to register a strata hotel platform:

  1. Select a representative to communicate with the Province. This person will be responsible for representing the strata hotel regarding regulatory requirements.
  2. Review the Registration Checklist and Fees in the sections below.
  3. Click “Apply now” 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

If there is a change in a strata hotel platform’s information used for registration (e.g., name, address), you are required to notify the Registrar of the change within 14 days.

Apply now

Apply now as a strata hotel to register.

Apply now as a strata hotel

Strata hotel terms and conditions

Check your application status

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

Check strata hotel application status

Strata hotel platform requirements

Strata hotel platforms are required to:

Not following provincial rules may result in:

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

Eligibility

To operate in B.C., strata hotel platforms must ensure the strata hotel property qualifies for one of three strata hotel principal residence exemptions.

Principal residence requirement

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 in strata hotels

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. These hosts will normally be approved after the strata hotel platform has been verified to meet the principal residence exemption. Applying to register before the strata hotel platform has been verified may be onerous for the host and result in delays. 

Principal residence exemption​

If your strata hotel is in an area where the provincial principal residence requirement applies, you will be asked to show that it qualifies for one of the three principal residence exemptions to make registration of individual units faster and more efficient.

During registration, you will be asked to:

  • Select the category of strata hotel you’re applying for 

  • Provide the website address (URL) of the booking platform used only for short-term rentals at the property

  • List the amenities and professional services offered at your strata hotel 

Supporting documentation should also be uploaded to your application to demonstrate the strata hotel category you are applying for and that your strata hotel meets the exemption requirements, as outlined in the Strata Hotel Policy Guidance (PDF, 464.7KB)

Updates to the Strata Hotel Policy Guidance

Updates have been made to the Strata Hotel Policy Guidance (PDF, 464.7KB).

Please review before submitting documents to renew your strata hotel platform registration. 

This may include documents such as: 

  • A list of units that are part of the strata hotel management group 
  • Copies of rental management agreements  
  • Zoning bylaw or covenant documentation (Required for Category 2 or 3 applications) 
  • Business licence (for the strata hotel, not individual units)  
  • Corporate summary of the managing entity  
  • Occupancy permit or confirmation from local government where required  
  • Proof of Municipal and Regional District Tax registration (if applicable)  
  • List of services provided (e.g., housekeeping, concierge) and amenities available to guests  
  • Proof of membership with the BC Hotel Association   
  • Record of employment (“ROE”) for front desk staff  
  • Record of Employment for Cleaning Staff  

If a strata hotel is confirmed exempt from the principal residence requirement this exemption applies to the whole building. 

The three categories of strata hotel exemptions are identified in the expandable menu below

Expand All | Collapse All
 

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: 

  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, you must provide proof that your business operates in a manner similar 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 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. 
 

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: 

  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 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

 

What is the significance of the date December 8, 2023?

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.

Fees

Strata hotels must pay an annual fee to register their platform. A single registration is required, regardless of the number of units. Fees will not be refunded if an application is denied.

Type of Platform

Annual fee + $1.50 service fee

Strata hotel platform

$600

Platform licensed by Consumer Protection BC as travel wholesalers 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 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 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 a 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).  

New for 2026 registrations and renewals

  • 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. 

​A renewal can be denied when a strata hotel platform has:

Registration checklist

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

  1. Name and contact information of the strata hotel representative
  2. Business information, including business number and mailing address
  3. Strata-titled hotel or motel details, including website, address and number of units

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

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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