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.

Are our regulations working? Read our 2021 annual highlights report  (440 KB)

Help ensure your short-term rental is safe for guests. Learn how to prevent Legionnaires’ disease

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About short-term rentals in Vancouver

Statistics as of May 5, 2023

City staff have opened 10,259 case files (852 in 2023), closed 9,636 cases (644 in 2023), and pursued the following compliance actions against suspected unauthorized short-term rental units:

active listings in Vancouver*
business licences issued for 2023 (2,557 issued for 2022)
licences flagged for investigations and audits (46 flagged in 2023)
warning letters written (21 written in 2023)
legal orders issued (45 issued in 2023)
listings referred to prosecution (6 referred in 2023)
violation tickets issued (90 issued in 2023)
units identified for inspection (50 identified in 2023)
business licences suspended (89 suspended in 2023)

*Source: Host Compliance

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