Short-term rental rules in BC and Alberta
In BC, short-term rentals in many communities are limited to the host's principal residence plus one secondary suite or garden suite, and every host must register each unit with the provincial registry. Alberta has no provincial registry like BC's: cities such as Calgary and Edmonton require a business licence instead.
BC and Alberta, at a glance
The main rules for renting a home, suite or condo for stays of less than 90 days. Your local government may add more.
| Rule | British Columbia | Alberta |
|---|---|---|
| Provincial registration | Required for each unit since May 1, 2025, renewed yearly | No provincial short-term rental registry |
| Principal residence limit | Since May 1, 2024, in many communities: your home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit | No provincial limit; some cities treat primary and other residences differently |
| Local business licence | Where the local government requires one, and the number must be on your listing | Required in Calgary and Edmonton, with the number on your listing; check other municipalities |
| Accommodation tax | 8% PST and up to 3% MRDT | 6% tourism levy |
| If you don't comply | Listings removed, bookings cancelled, fines, and no tax deductions for those days | Municipal enforcement, and no tax deductions for those days |
Strata and condominium bylaws can restrict or ban short-term rentals in your building, whatever the provincial and city rules allow.
The principal residence requirement
BC's Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act covers stays of less than 90 days offered to the public, whether on a booking platform, a listing site or in a classified ad. Hotels, motels, RVs and tents are outside it.
Since May 1, 2024, in communities where the principal residence requirement applies, you can offer short-term rentals only in your principal residence, the home you usually live in, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit, such as a laneway or garden suite, on the same property.
It applies in municipalities of 10,000 people or more, some smaller neighbouring communities, and communities that opt in. As of June 1, 2026, that includes Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Courtenay and Comox. The list can change each June 1.
The provincial rule is a minimum. Local governments can set stricter bylaws, and some have their own principal residence rules.
Generally exempt from the requirement
- Smaller communities
- Municipalities under 10,000 people that aren't within 15 km of a larger one, unless they opt in.
- Resort areas
- Mountain resort and ski resort areas, and Resort Municipality Initiative communities.
- Rural areas
- Most regional district electoral areas and most Islands Trust areas, plus farm land (farm class 9).
- Some properties
- Certain strata hotels and fractional ownership properties. They still register.
Checked 26 Oct 2026 against the Government of BC's principal residence requirement page (list as of June 1, 2026). Use the province's map to check your address.
The provincial short-term rental registry
Since May 1, 2025, hosts, booking platforms and strata hotel platforms operating in BC must be registered with the province.
Register each unit
Each unit needs its own registration, and several listings for the same unit share one. A suite on the same property is a separate unit. A property manager can register on the host's behalf.
Annual fees
$100 a year for a unit that is your principal residence, and $450 a year for a secondary unit such as a suite or laneway home. Registrations are renewed each year.
Show it on every listing
Your registration number, any required business licence number and the registered address. Platforms check the number, and unregistered listings are removed and bookings cancelled.
Registration applies to stays of under 90 days even where your local government doesn't require a business licence for stays of that length.
Business licences and bylaws
Most short-term rental rules that change street by street are set by municipalities and regional districts, not the province.
Local governments in BC
- Many require a short-term rental business licence, and the number must be on your listing.
- Platforms must remove a listing at the local government's request if it doesn't have a required licence.
- Protections for older non-conforming uses no longer cover short-term rentals.
- Fines can reach $3,000 per infraction per day under municipal ticketing.
- Vancouver, for example, requires a short-term rental business licence and limits short-term rentals to the host's principal residence.
Municipalities in Alberta
- Calgary requires a short-term rental business licence, with separate licences for primary and non-primary residences.
- Edmonton requires a business licence for each short-term rental dwelling, whether or not you live there.
- Both cities expect the licence number on your listings.
- Other municipalities, especially mountain towns, set their own rules: check before you buy or list.
Licence fees and conditions change. Your city or regional district confirms what applies to your address.
Alberta: mostly municipal
Alberta doesn't have a provincial short-term rental registry or a principal residence requirement like BC's. The rules that decide whether you can host, and on what terms, mainly come from your municipality's land use and business licence bylaws, and from your condominium corporation's bylaws.
The province's main registration for hosts is the tourism levy. If guests pay you directly, you register and remit the levy yourself. If an online broker collects payment, it generally remits the levy for those bookings.
Condo bylaws
A condominium corporation's bylaws can restrict short-term rentals even where the city licenses them.
Zoning and land use
Whether a unit can be used for short stays can depend on the land use district, especially outside the big cities.
Insurance
Some home and condo policies don't cover paying guests. Ask your insurer before your first booking.
Compliance now affects your deductions
Since the 2024 tax year, section 67.7 of the Income Tax Act denies the expenses of a short-term rental, meaning a residential property rented or offered for less than 90 consecutive days, for every day it doesn't meet provincial or municipal registration, licensing or permit rules, or is somewhere short-term rentals aren't allowed.
The income stays taxable, and CRA can reassess this for any year. So we check your registration and licence dates before we prepare your return.
Not legal advice
- What we do
- Explain how the provincial and local rules affect your books and taxes, and keep your registration, licence and tax dates on file.
- What your lawyer does
- Zoning, strata bylaws, tenancy questions and disputes. We work alongside your lawyer when they're involved.
- What your local government confirms
- Whether your address allows short-term rentals and which licence you need.
One price, set for how you host
Pricing is explained on the business membership page. We confirm your price before any work starts.
- How many units you have, and in which communities
- Whether you're registered for GST, BC PST or the tourism levy
- Whether past years need fixing after a licence gap
Short-term rental rules, answered
Do I need to register my short-term rental in BC?
Yes, in most cases. Since May 1, 2025, short-term rental hosts, platforms and strata hotel platforms operating in BC must register with the provincial short-term rental registry. Each unit needs its own registration number, shown on every listing, and registrations are renewed each year. A few types of accommodation are exempt.
Where does BC's principal residence requirement apply?
Since May 1, 2024, it applies in municipalities with 10,000 or more people and some smaller neighbouring communities, and communities that opt in. That includes Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria and Courtenay. Some places are exempt, including smaller communities, resort areas and most regional district electoral areas. The list is updated each June 1.
Can I rent out a basement suite as a short-term rental in BC?
In communities where the principal residence requirement applies, you can generally rent out your own home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property, if local bylaws allow it. Each unit needs its own provincial registration and any business licence your local government requires.
Does Alberta have a short-term rental registry?
Not a provincial one like BC's. In Alberta, short-term rental rules are mostly set by municipalities. Calgary and Edmonton both require a short-term rental business licence and the licence number on listings. Separately, hosts who collect payment from guests register for Alberta's tourism levy.
What happens to my taxes if my rental isn't licensed or registered?
Section 67.7 of the Income Tax Act denies the expenses of a short-term rental for the days it doesn't meet provincial or municipal registration, licensing or permit rules, or where short-term rentals aren't allowed. The income is still taxable. In BC, platforms must also remove listings that don't show a valid registration number.
Can you tell me whether my rental is allowed?
We can walk you through the provincial and local rules that apply to your property and how they affect your taxes, but this isn't legal advice. For zoning, strata bylaws or a dispute, we work alongside your lawyer. Your local government confirms licensing and zoning for your address.
Sources, checked 26 Oct 2026. Rules change, and local bylaws vary. This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the rules for your address with your local government, and speak with a lawyer about your situation.
- Government of BC, B.C.'s short-term rental legislation (updated 1 Apr 2026), gov.bc.ca: scope, principal residence requirement, business licence display, platform obligations, fines, registry from 1 May 2025.
- Government of BC, Provincial principal residence requirement (updated 21 Sep 2026), gov.bc.ca: where it applies (list as of 1 Jun 2026), exemptions, opt-in and opt-out, registration fees.
- Government of BC, Short-term rental registration (updated 8 Jul 2026) and Register as a host (updated 23 Jul 2026), gov.bc.ca.
- Government of BC news release, New rules take effect to rein in short-term rentals (2024), news.gov.bc.ca: rules in effect 1 May 2024.
- City of Vancouver, Short-term rental business licence, vancouver.ca; City of Calgary, short-term rental business licences, calgary.ca; City of Edmonton, short-term home rentals, edmonton.ca.
- Government of Alberta, Tourism levy, alberta.ca. Income Tax Act s.67.7, laws-lois.justice.gc.ca.
Let's check your rental before tax time
Book a free 15-minute call by video or phone. Tell us where your units are, what you've registered and licensed, and how guests book, and we'll explain what we'd do and confirm your price before any work starts.
Which office?
Book a free 15-minute call15-minute calls every weekday at 10 am and 2 pm Pacific (11 am and 3 pm Mountain), except holidays.
Typical next slots, confirmed when you book:
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