Is your home eligible to have a short-term rental?

General

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  I am property manager - do I need to have a short-term rental licence for the properties that I manage?

  All short-term rental properties require a valid licence to operate and market the unit. A short-term rental licence can only be issued to the person who resides at the property.

  Businesses, societies, and commercial operations are ineligible to apply for a short-term rental licence.

   Property managers are required to get a property management business licence to market and manage the unit on behalf of the short-term rental operator. Family members who market or manage more than one short-term rental unit on behalf of a family member must also get a property management business licence. 

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  You previously listed and operated a short-term rental before the regulations were in full effect on August 31, 2018. You have since removed your online listing, but are still operating for bookings received before the August 31, 2018 deadline

  No. To operate a short-term rental, an operator must have a valid short-term rental business licence. 

  Review the requirements for a short-term rental business licence

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  I have several properties that I would like to use as short-term rentals in Vancouver. Can I use the same licence for all properties?

  No. Each short-term rental property must have its own licence. The same licence cannot be used for multiple properties.

  A person may only have one short-term rental business licence – for the property where they live.

  Review the requirements for a short-term rental business licence

   

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  I would like to have my short-term rental business in my company’s name – is this allowed?

  No. A short-term rental business licence can only be issued to a person, for the property where they reside.

  Review the requirements for a short-term rental business licence

Single-family homes

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  You own or rent your home, and want to rent a spare bedroom short-term

  Yes, starting April 19, 2018, you can rent the bedroom short-term if:

  1. You have a valid short-term rental business licence
  2. Your landlord allows short-term rentals, if you rent
  3. Your strata bylaws allow short-term rentals, if your residence has a strata council

  Read the business license requirements, then apply

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  You own a second home that's often empty and want to rent it short-term

  No, you can't rent the home short-term because it's not your principal residence.

  Instead, you can rent the home long-term for periods of 30 days or more at a time, with a valid long-term rental business licence. Renting the home more than six months per year means you don't have to pay the Empty Homes Tax.

  Apply for a long-term rental business licence

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  You own a second home that's already rented long-term and want to rent it short-term instead

  No, you can't rent the home short-term because it's not your principal residence.

  Instead, you can allow your long-term tenant to rent the home short-term with a valid short-term rental business licence because it's their principal residence.

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  You own and live in your home, and want to rent a spare bedroom or the whole home short-term when you're away

  Yes, starting April 19, 2018, you can rent the bedroom or whole home short-term if:

  1. You have a valid short-term rental business licence
  2. Your strata bylaws allow short-term rentals, if your residence has a strata council

  Read the business license requirements, then apply

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  You live in a house with three extra bedrooms and want to rent each of those bedrooms out separately on the same licence

  Yes, but you can only have one booking at a time, which means you can’t rent out all three bedrooms separately at the same time. 

  Only one short-term licence can be issued per dwelling unit (address). You can use the same licence for each different room listing – provided they are all at the same address.

Condos and apartments

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  You rent in a Rental 100 Building and want to rent out the apartment as a short-term rental

  No. Short-term rentals are not permitted in Rental 100 Buildings as these building are designed to provide long-term rental housing for Vancouver residents.

  • Read license requirements
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  You own a furnished condo that you don’t live in, and want to advertise it online and rent it out for a month at a time

  No, short-term rentals are only permitted in a principal residence. 

  Instead, you can you rent the condo out for periods of 30 days or more at a time with a long-term rental business licence. You can list your long-term rental property on platforms like Airbnb.

  Apply for a long-term rental business licence

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  You rent and live in an apartment unit, and want to rent it short-term when you're away

  Yes, starting April 19, 2018, you can rent the apartment unit short-term if:

  1. You have a valid short-term rental business licence
  2. Your landlord allows short-term rentals
  3. Your strata bylaws allow short-term rentals, if your residence has a strata council

  Read the business license requirements, then apply

Secondary suites, basement suites, laneway homes, and accessory buildings

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  You own a home with an accessory building such as a garage or art studio and want to rent it short-term

  No. An accessory building is not a legal dwelling unit and is not permitted to be a short-term rental.

  • Read licence requirements
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  You own a home with a self-contained basement suite (with its own kitchen and bathroom) and want to rent it short-term

  No, you can't rent the basement suite short-term because it's not your principal residence.

  Instead, you can:

  • Rent the home long-term for periods of 30 days or more at a time, with a valid long-term rental business licence
  • Allow your long-term tenant to rent the home short-term with a valid short-term rental business licence because it's their principal residence

  Apply for a long-term rental business licence

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  You own a laneway house that you keep available for family and friends, and want to rent it short-term

  No, you can't rent the laneway house short-term because it's not your principal residence.

  Instead, you can rent the home long-term for periods of 30 days or more at a time, with a valid long-term rental business licence.

  Apply for a long-term rental business licence

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