Short-term rental business licence

Our short-term rental regulations help protect long-term rental housing and allow residents to earn additional income.

All short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a business licence and include their licence number in all online listings and advertising. 

You must have strata approval and/or your landlord must permit the use of short-term rentals in your home before you apply for a licence.

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What's happeningNew policy amendment extends short-term rental periods to 90 days

On September 24, 2024, City Council approved a policy amendment that extends the duration of short-term rentals (STRs) from less than 30 days to less than 90 days. The updated policy is set to take effect on October 8, 2024. 

This amendment aligns with the Province’s recently implemented Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, which defines short-term rentals as “accommodations provided to members of the public in a host’s property, in exchange for money, for a period of less than 90 consecutive days.”

Key licensing updates

Current long-term licence holders with rental periods between 30 and 90 days must immediately comply with the new STR policy update by choosing 1 of 2 options:

  • Apply for a STR licence, making sure you meet all the necessary requirements
  • Continue with a long-term rental (LTR) licence by extending your rental period to more than 90 days

Learn more about updated short-term rental regulations

About short-term rentals in Vancouver

Videos: Learn more about the program

Statistics as of November 7, 2024

City staff have opened 13,432 case files (1400 in 2024), closed 12,766 cases (1537 in 2024), and pursued the following compliance actions against suspected unauthorized short-term rental units:

active listings in Vancouver*
business licences issued for 2024 (3,122 issued for 2023)
licences flagged for investigations and audits (235 flagged in 2024)
warning letters written (137 written in 2024)
legal orders issued (109 issued in 2024)
listings referred to prosecution (9 referred in 2024)
violation tickets issued (219 issued in 2024)
units identified for inspection (156 identified in 2024)
business licences suspended (230 suspended in 2024)

*Offering consecutive stays of 89 days or less. Source: Host Compliance

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