Subscribing for updates to B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act and regulations

On December 4 and 15, 2025, B.C. amended regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 552-2025 and (OIC 592-2025) to implement legislative amendments that recently passed and to simplify the registration process. 

This includes amendments to: 

• Expand the sections of the regulation available to Modern Treaty Nations 

• Establish an administrative penalty for providing false or misleading information to the registrar 

• Establish the terms and conditions necessary to establish an administrative penalty agreement 

• Update requirements for reviews of registration and enforcement decisions 

• Align information sharing regulations with the Act

• Require only one registration per short-term rental unit so that different listings at the same unit do not require separate registrations 

• Exempt units that are not equipped or suitable for year-round residence from the registration requirement and principal residence requirement, and 

• Update the acceptable documentation to demonstrate principal residency for registration 

On November 27, 2025, B.C. amended the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (Bill 25-2025) to clarify administrative processes and interpretation of key sections of the Act, expand the sections of the Act available to Modern Treaty Nations, and create new enforcement tools to limit non-compliance. 

This includes amendments to: 

• Amend the definition of ‘principal residence’  

• Revise the process for reviews of registration and administrative penalty decisions,  

• Improve information sharing authorities  

• Enable compliance and enforcement actions when false or misleading information is provided during the registration process 

• Enable administrative monetary penalties to be reduced or cancelled by agreement with the director, and 

• Enable the publication of compliance actions  

News Release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2025HMA0093-000986 

On June 9, 2025, B.C. made regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 277/2025) to: 

• Update where the principal residence requirement applies based on community requests to opt-in or out of this requirement 

The following communities requested to opt-in to the principal residence requirement: 

• Salt Spring Island 

• Electoral Area B of the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District 

• Creston 

The following communities requested to opt-out of the principal residence requirement: 

• Tofino  

• Electoral Area E of the Cowichan Valley Regional District 

• Electoral Area G of the Cowichan Valley Regional District 

• Update the names and maps for resort areas to reflect current naming conventions 

• Enable the Ministry of Finance to share short-term rental registrant information with the Canada Revenue Agency to enforce tax laws 

• Align the minor platform reporting and listing validation requirements, and  

• Allow platforms to continue to provide services for listings where the validity of the registration number has not been confirmed due to system downtime or technical issues. 

On April 30, 2025, B.C. made regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 200-2025) to extend the timeline for platform validation requirements to begin June 2, 2025. 

• From June 2 to June 23, 2025: Where a registration validation for a listing has failed, platforms must stop advertising the listing and prevent any new bookings
• Beginning 23, 2025 and going forward: Where a registration validation for a listing has failed, platforms must stop advertising the listing, prevent any new bookings, and cancel all existing bookings. Where a registration validation has failed due to a suspended registration, platforms are only required to stop advertising and prevent any new bookings

B.C. has made regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 25-2025) which take effect on January 20, 2025. Highlights include:

1. Exemptions from the registration requirement
2. Registration process for strata hotels and motels
3. Terms and conditions for short-term rental registration
4. General registration processes, such as time periods and manner of authentication
5. Requirements for platform service providers to verify registration numbers and what actions are required for invalid listings
6. When and how someone can apply for a review of Registrar decisions
7. Maximum penalties for registration contraventions
8. Annual registration fees for hosts and platforms
9. Data-sharing requirements for medium and minor platforms
10. Minor amendments to support compliance and enforcement of the STRAA

See January 20, 2025 News Release: Short-term rental registry will deliver more homes, ensure hosts follow rules | BC Gov News

B.C. has made regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 197-2024) which will take effect on May 1, 2024. Highlights include:

1. Updates to the criteria for exempting strata-titled hotels and motels from the principal residence requirement
2. Requirement for platforms to provide the Province with data related to short-term rental listings
3. Procedures for local governments to request removal of non-compliant listings
4. An Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) framework to support compliance and enforcement of the Act
5. Adding eligible local governments to the exempt land described in the regulation (opt-out approvals)

See the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Regulation (May 1, 2023)

See April 18, 2024 News Release: New rules take effect to rein in short-term rentals, deliver more homes | BC Gov News

On December 7, 2023, B.C. made regulations under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (OIC 679-2023):

On October 26, 2023, the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act was passed to to give local governments stronger enforcement tools for short-term rental bylaws, return short-term rentals to the long-term rental market, and establish a new Provincial role in regulating short-term rentals. Some changes became effective October 26, 2023 and other changes will come into effect at later dates. Learn more on the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act overview page.