Do you operate a short-term rental?
Effective September 1, 2018, all short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a business licence and include their licence number in all online listings and advertising, or they may be subject to fines up to $1,000 per offence.
Our short-term rental regulations help protect long-term rental housing and allow residents to earn additional income.
On this page
Related business licences
A short-term rental can be an entire home, or a room with that home, that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time.
A short-term rental can only be operated from your principal residence – the home where you live, as an owner or tenant, and use for bills, identification, taxes, and insurance.
Short-term rentals are only permitted in secondary homes or basements suites if the operator lives there full time.
All short-term rental operators must have a valid business licence and include it in all online listings and advertisements.
Your strata bylaws or landlord must permit the use of short-term rentals in your home before you apply for a licence.
Non-compliance may result in fines of up to $1,000 per offence.
Step 1:
Check you're eligible to apply
Step 2:
Meet the licence requirements
Step 3:
Apply online
Be a responsible operator
(300 KB) 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.
Why short-term rentals are allowed in Vancouver
Vancouver is facing a housing affordability crisis. We want residents to stay, live, and build a future in Vancouver. As part of the Housing Vancouver Strategy, our short-term rental regulations:
- Protect existing long-term rental housing and return more long-term rental housing to the market
- Allow residents to use their principal residence to earn additional income to offset their housing costs
- Provide safe and healthy accommodation options to support our tourism industry
- Helps us respond to any concerns with noise, garbage, parking, and safety
- Permit us to enforce against commercial and illegal operators who are using long-term rental homes as short-term rentals
Enforcing the rules
We are actively working to ensure all short-term rental operators across Vancouver are in compliance with our new regulations. Operators may be fined up to $1,000 per offence or be subject to legal action for:
- Operating without a valid business licence
- Listing or advertising a short-term rental without displaying a valid business licence
- Operating a short-term rental in a home that is not their principal residence
- Operating a commercial short-term rental
- Operating in an unsafe or nuisance property
Commercial operators and those with repeat offences may be subject to prosecution and face fines of up to $10,000.
Report an issue
Is the short-term rental:
- Operating without a licence?
- Not used as a principal residence?
- Not allowed by a landlord or strata?
- Unsafe?
- Making a nuisance?
The fine to list a short-term rental without a valid license is $1,000 per offence.
(156 KB) Get updates
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