Airbnb Rules BC You Should Know

Understanding the Airbnb Rules BC can feel complex, yet clarity matters if you want to host legally and protect your income. As a host, you must follow local bylaws and stay current with provincial changes. This guide summarizes the key parts of the framework and then walks through city examples so you can compare requirements and plan your next steps with confidence.

Please remember, this article is a roadmap, not legal advice. Laws evolve, enforcement increases, and details change. Therefore, always confirm the latest requirements with provincial and municipal sources before you list or renew.

Principal Residence Requirement: The First Step in Airbnb Rules BC

In May 2024, the province introduced the principal residence requirement. The intent is straightforward: keep more homes available for long-term housing, while still allowing limited short-term hosting. In practical terms, short-term rentals are generally limited to the usual place where you live, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property, as long as local rules allow it. Since the provincial standard is a minimum floor, your city’s bylaws can still be stricter.

This baseline applies across B.C. in municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, along with some nearby smaller communities. The catch is that the map can shift over time, because communities can request to opt in (and in limited cases, opt out) on an annual cycle. So even if your area looks covered today, it is smart to confirm what applies for the current year before you buy or list.

Several accommodation types sit outside the rule because they are not meant to function as long-term homes. The Province lists exemptions that can include certain strata-titled hotels or motels, timeshares, home exchanges, fractional ownership setups where the unit cannot be a principal residence, and specific categories like strata guest suites. Some student or employee housing owned or operated by schools or non-profits may also fall into exempt treatment, along with certain seasonal or recreation-linked accommodation arrangements.

Finally, some places and land types operate under different provincial treatment. For example, Whistler is listed among the municipalities exempt from the provincial principal residence requirement, and Islands Trust areas are treated as exempt land under the provincial framework. Because these layers can be technical and local bylaws still matter, always check the local rules before you invest or publish a listing.

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The 2025 Registry: A New Era of BC Airbnb Rules

On May 1, 2025, the province launched the Short-Term Rental Registry. Every host must register, receive a provincial registration number, and show that number on every listing. Validation is not theoretical. Platforms check the number against provincial records, so the details on your listing, including the address, must match what you registered.

The registry comes with annual fees. If you rent the home where you actually live, the annual fee is $100, plus a small service fee. If you rent a unit where you do not live, such as an eligible secondary suite, accessory dwelling unit, or a secondary property in a location where the principal residence requirement does not apply, the annual fee is $450, plus the service fee. Strata hotel platforms register separately at $600 per year, and hosts advertising individual strata hotel units on third-party platforms still fall under the host fee structure.

Platform obligations are now clear, with firm dates. Hosts were expected to have their provincial number displayed by May 1, 2025. After that, the enforcement steps moved quickly: as of June 2, 2025, platforms had to stop advertising listings without a valid number and prevent new bookings. As of June 23, 2025, platforms had to cancel all future bookings tied to hosts who still did not have a valid provincial registration number. Consequently, hosts should treat registration and renewal as ongoing operations, not a last-minute fix.

Enforcement has also strengthened. The Province operates a dedicated Compliance and Enforcement Unit within the Short-Term Rental Branch, and it can investigate and issue orders and penalties when provincial requirements are not followed. At the same time, municipalities continue to enforce local bylaws, which means hosts need to stay compliant at both levels.

Victoria, BC Airbnb Rules

Victoria follows the provincial baseline but adds its own requirements. You need a City of Victoria Short-Term Rental Business Licence, and you must comply with Schedule D home-occupation standards. Once you are licensed, you can rent up to two bedrooms while you remain in the home. You can also rent your entire principal residence when you are temporarily away, but Victoria caps that option at 160 nights per calendar year.

There are important limits. Short-term rentals in Victoria cannot operate as a self-contained dwelling unit, which means secondary suites and garden suites are not eligible as the short-term rental space. Tenants can host only with written owner consent, and strata owners should confirm their bylaws allow hosting before applying. Licences renew every year and run from January 16 to January 15, with fees that are not refundable mid-year. Because enforcement is active, keep proof of principal residence, insurance, and key safety basics easy to produce if requested.

How Provincial Airbnb Rules BC Apply In Victoria

The provincial layer sits above the city bylaw. Victoria is inside the principal residence framework, and the provincial registry adds a listing requirement. In a city that requires a business licence, hosts must display both a valid provincial registration number and a valid Victoria licence number, and platforms must support showing both on listings.

White Rock, BC Airbnb Rules

White Rock runs a strict suite-only approach that goes beyond the provincial baseline. Short-term rentals are allowed only when they operate from an accessory, registered secondary suite that meets BC Building Code requirements. The operator must be the property owner or the owner’s immediate family member, and that person must live on the property full time. Tenants cannot turn a rented suite into a short-term rental, and the city keeps operations limited to one active booking at a time.

Operational limits are narrow and easy to cross if you set up your listing incorrectly. The suite can include up to two sleeping units and no more than four adult guests. You also need a City business licence, and your licence number must appear in all advertising and listings. White Rock treats a short-term rental as a stay of 30 days or less, so your minimum and maximum stay settings should reflect that definition to avoid accidental non-compliance.

Safety, Penalties, and Fit With Airbnb Rules BC

White Rock ties hosting to safety and day-to-day controls. You must meet life-safety requirements, post clear emergency contact information, and follow local rules on parking, noise, and nuisance behaviour. The city can issue ticketed fines, and penalties increase when violations repeat. On top of the municipal licence, the provincial registry adds another requirement: a valid provincial registration number that must be displayed and kept current. In other words, compliant hosting in White Rock means staying inside the suite-only framework, keeping your city licence active, and meeting the provincial registration rules at the same time.

Whistler, BC Airbnb Rules

In Whistler, nightly rentals start with land use. A Resort Municipality of Whistler tourist accommodation business licence is required, but zoning and related permissions decide whether you can legally operate at all. If the property is not designated for tourist or temporary accommodation, it cannot be used for nightly stays, even if you try to frame them as short visits with tight rules. In other words, a standard residential designation does not become “nightly-rental friendly” just because the stay is short.

Whistler is exempt from the provincial principal residence requirement because it is listed among the communities where that provincial rule does not apply unless the local government opts in. Still, Whistler’s local rules remain strict. Your municipal licence number must be shown on your listing, and the municipality expects hosts to match the listing to the correct zoning context before advertising. Since Whistler enforces based on marketing and advertising, it’s smart to confirm eligibility before you spend money on a purchase or launch a listing.

Enforcement, Platforms, and Provincial Registration

Whistler actively enforces compliance and can issue serious penalties. If you operate tourist accommodation without the required licence, the municipality states you may face fines of up to $3,000 per day, and it can require platforms to remove the listing. At the same time, the provincial registry adds another layer: Whistler hosts still need a valid provincial registration number and must display it on every listing. Platform deadlines are fixed as well. As of June 2, 2025, platforms had to stop advertising and block new bookings for listings without a valid provincial number, and as of June 23, 2025, platforms had to cancel future bookings tied to unregistered hosts. Practically, your zoning permission, Whistler licence, and provincial registration must all line up.

Richmond, BC Airbnb Rules

In Richmond, a short-term rental means you are being paid to rent only a portion of a dwelling for fewer than 90 consecutive days. To operate legally, you must register with the City, hold the correct business licence, and include your licence number anywhere the rental is advertised, including online platforms. Richmond’s system uses two licence categories, and the permitted setup depends on which one you qualify for.

A Bed & Breakfast is limited to a single-detached house and must be run by the registered owner or an immediate family member. The operator has to live in the home as their principal residence, and if the operator is not the registered owner, written permission is required. This licence allows up to three guest rooms and a maximum of six guests, with no more than two guests per room. Richmond also uses a spacing rule: a new B&B must be at least 500 metres from an existing B&B. The process includes neighbour notification and clear local contact information.

Boarding & Lodging can be approved in more housing types, including detached homes, duplexes, apartments, and townhouses, but it still requires the operator to live on site. The guest limit is strict: two guests total at any time. In strata buildings, you need written strata approval. Guest rooms cannot include separate cooking facilities, and Richmond does not allow short-term rental use in a secondary suite, coach house, or granny flat. The City also draws a bright line: renting the entire home or unit for under 90 days is not permitted.

Provincial Registration and Enforcement in Richmond

Richmond points hosts to the provincial registry requirement, so compliance now has two layers. Your provincial registration number must be displayed on listings, and platforms can validate both the provincial and local identifiers. Richmond monitors advertising and investigates operations, and penalties can be substantial, with fines that can reach $50,000 depending on the breach. Keep your paperwork current and make sure your listing details match what you registered.

Burnaby, BC Airbnb Rules

Burnaby allows short-term rentals only as a limited, principal-residence activity, with clear caps. You may host up to four unrelated guests, or up to six guests when the group is one family. The City limits hosting to 90 nights per year, and it also limits “whole-home” stays within that total. Specifically, you can rent your entire principal residence for no more than 28 nights in a calendar year. Because these limits stack, it helps to plan your year in advance and track nights as you go.

Burnaby keeps eligibility tight. The short-term rental must be in the home you live in, and the program is restricted to homeowners. Tenants cannot operate a short-term rental in Burnaby. The City also does not allow STR use in a secondary suite or other restricted arrangements, so you should confirm your property type qualifies before you advertise. A City business licence is required before you list, and you should be ready to show proof of residence and insurance if the City asks during an audit.

Fees, Fines, and Provincial Validation in Burnaby

Burnaby uses a fixed annual fee for the short-term rental business licence, listed as $278 in the City’s consolidated fees. Enforcement can be costly: Burnaby notes penalties can reach $500 per infraction, and repeated non-compliance can trigger escalating consequences. On top of the City licence, the provincial registry requires a valid provincial registration number that must be displayed and validated on platforms. In practice, your Burnaby licence and provincial registration must both stay active and visible on your listing.

Squamish, BC Airbnb Rules

In Squamish, short-term renting is tied to your primary home. If you rent space for under 90 days at a time, the District treats it as a short-term rental and requires a District short-term rental business licence. You need that licence in place before hosting, and your District licence number must be shown on every listing and advertisement. If you are a tenant, you can only host with written owner consent. If your home is in a strata, you also need written strata approval before you operate.

Accessory units are generally off the table. Under the standard rules, Squamish does not permit short-term rentals in secondary suites or coach houses. However, the District runs a limited Temporary Use Permit (TUP) option that may allow short-term rental use in certain secondary suites or accessory units. This stream is capped at 30 permits and is time-limited, with a three-year permit term. Because the program can fill, check the District’s current intake status early if a suite or coach house is central to your plan.

Safety, Penalties, and Provincial Requirements in Squamish

Squamish builds safety into the process. Hosts must complete the District’s self-evaluation safety audit and provide a fire safety plan that is posted at exits, along with clear emergency contact information. Working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are also required. Enforcement is not symbolic. The District states penalties can reach $3,000 per day, per offence, including for advertising without a valid licence. On top of local licensing, the provincial registry adds another visible requirement, so you should confirm both your District licence and your provincial registration are active and correctly displayed before you accept bookings.

Read also more about Airbnb Taxes in Vancouver.

Quick Host Airbnb Rules BC Checklists by City

Victoria

Get the City STR licence and follow Schedule D.
Whole-home only when away, up to 160 nights/year; otherwise rent up to 2 bedrooms.
No self-contained suites; confirm strata rules; renew on time.
Show City + provincial numbers on every listing.

White Rock

STRs only in an accessory registered secondary suite.
One booking, 2 sleeping units, 4 adult guests max.
Keep safety items and posted contacts in place.
Show City + provincial numbers in all ads.

Whistler

Verify zoning permits tourist/temporary accommodation before listing.
Keep the RMOW licence active and visible on listings.
Register provincially and display the provincial number too.
Fix any compliance issues quickly.

Richmond

Choose Bed & Breakfast or Boarding & Lodging.
Rent part of the home only, within guest/room caps; live on site.
Get strata approval where needed; no separate cooking in rooms.
Show City + provincial numbers.

Burnaby

Principal residence only, with a City licence.
Track limits: 90 nights/year total, including 28 whole-home nights.
Follow guest caps and keep proof/insurance ready.
Show City + provincial numbers.

Squamish

Licence your principal residence and complete the safety self-check.
Suites/coach houses may need a limited TUP.
Keep safety info posted and respond to audits fast.
Show City/District + provincial numbers.

Final Takeaway on Airbnb Rules BC

The Airbnb Rules BC create a province-wide baseline, and cities add their own guardrails. Register with the Province, secure the right city licence, and then set up your listing to display both numbers. In addition, follow local caps on nights, occupancy, and booking flow, and keep safety documents handy. If you align these steps, you protect your listing, your reviews, and your revenue under the evolving Airbnb Rules BC.

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