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 November 2, 2023

City staff have opened 11,756 case files (2,349 in 2023), closed 10,942 cases (1,950 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 (180 flagged in 2023)
warning letters written (113 written in 2023)
legal orders issued (201 issued in 2023)
listings referred to prosecution (8 referred in 2023)
violation tickets issued (387 issued in 2023)
units identified for inspection (178 identified in 2023)
business licences suspended (261 suspended in 2023)

*Source: Host Compliance

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