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New rules take effect September 1
All short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a valid business licence and include that number in all online listings by August 31 to avoid fines up to $1,000.
A short-term rental is a home, or room within, rented for less than 30 days at a time. The home must be your principal residence. You need a short-term rental business licence.
On this page
Related business licences
A principal residence is the home where you live, as owner or tenant, and use for bills, identification, taxes, and insurance.
Our rules on short-term rentals are to help protect housing meant for long-term use.
We want residents to stay, live, and build a future in Vancouver.
The rules are one way we're carrying out the Housing Vancouver strategy.
Get a licence and put the licence number in your listing by August 31 to avoid fines.
Step 1:
Check you're eligible to apply
Step 2:
Meet the licence requirements
Step 3:
Apply online
Be a responsible operator
What about the Empty Homes Tax?
Short-term rentals aren't allowed in homes that pay the tax.
The tax applies to homes that aren't the owner’s principal residence, or that aren't rented long-term.
Enforcing the rules
Our priority is to enforce the rules on commercial, unsafe, and nuisance properties.
We respond to complaints and review advertisements, among other methods.
We work with online accommodation platforms to ensure all Vancouver short-term rentals:
- Have a business licence
- Display their business licence number in all listings
The platforms could remove unlicensed advertised properties and we may pursue additional enforcement of these properties.
Report an issue
Is the short-term rental:
- Making a nuisance?
- Unsafe?
- Not allowed by a landlord or strata?
- Not used as a principal residence?
The fine to list a short-term rental without a valid license is $1,000 per day.
Bylaws
We have three bylaws about short-term rentals that amend existing bylaws.
- About short-term rental accommodations and zoning
- Amends Zoning and Development Bylaw 3575
- About short-term rental operators and the licence fee
- Amends Licence Bylaw 4450
- About short-term rental fines
- Amends Ticket Offences Bylaw 9360
Why we have rules
Vancouver is facing a housing affordability crisis, rental vacancies are low, and short-term rental listings continue to grow. Left unregulated, this large market creates:
- Health and safety risks to residents and tourists
- Imbalance between hotels, long-term renters, and others with taxes and licencing fees
Allowing short-term rentals only in your primary residence with a business licence:
- Allows you to earn additional income
- Provides Vancouver with short-term accommodation options to support our tourism industry
- Helps us respond to any concerns with noise, garbage, parking, and safety
- Helps us protect existing long-term rental housing and potentially add new long-term rental housing to the market
Documents
Read presentations, reports, and other Council documents about short-term rentals since 2016.
2018
- News "City legalizes short-term rentals in Vancouver" (April 19, 2018)
- Staff report "Enactment and Implementation of Short-term Rental Regulations" (April 18, 2018)
(60 KB) - News "City signs first MOU in Canada with Airbnb for short-term rentals" (April 11, 2018)
2017
- News "Council approves new short-term rental regulations" (November 14, 2017)
- Council meeting minutes (November 14, 2017)
(156 KB) - Staff presentation "Regulating Short-Term Rentals in Vancouver" (October 24, 2017) (1 MB)
- Summary and recommendation of the text amendment to the Zoning and Development Bylaw (October 24, 2017) (40 KB)
- Responses to councillor questions (October 24, 2017) (50 KB)
- Memo to Council "Regulating Short-Term Rentals in Vancouver" (October 17, 2017) (320 KB)
- News "Vancouver takes steps towards legalizing short-term rentals" (July 11, 2017)
- Staff presentation "Regulating Short-Term Rentals in Vancouver" (July 11, 2017) (2 MB)
- Staff report "Regulating Short-Term Rentals in Vancouver" (July 11, 2017) (11 MB)
- Responses to councillor questions (July 11, 2017) (200 KB)
- News "City introduces regulations for short-term rentals" (July 5, 2017)
2016
- News "City continues with enforcement of illegal short-term rentals" (October 25, 2016)
- News "City proposes to license short-term rentals" (September 28, 2016)
- Staff report "Regulating Short-Term Rentals in Vancouver" (September 28, 2016) (2 MB)
- City of Vancouver Short-Term Rental Market Overview (August 2016) (830 KB)
- Council motion "Action to Strengthen Regulation of Short-Term Rentals" (April 6, 2016) (90 KB)
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