Since 2014, the Regional District has distinguished between two different types of short-term rental accommodations in its Okanagan Valley Electoral Area (i.e. Areas “A”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F” & “I”) land use bylaws.

These included bed and breakfast operations (where the operator is present and living in the same dwelling as guests during operation) and vacation rentals (where the operator is not present or is living in a different dwelling than guests during operation).

Bed and breakfast operations were permitted in all zones that allowed for a single detached dwelling and did not require authorization from the Regional District. Vacation Rentals were prohibited in all zones except at Apex Mountain Resort.

However, the Regional District Board adopted a Vacation Rental Temporary Use Permit Policy which allowed for a vacation rental to be authorized through a Temporary Use Permit application subject to certain criteria being met.

In 2023, the Regional District commenced a review of its temporary use permit application process to determine a suitable alternative for regulating vacation rentals.

Shortly thereafter, the Province gave royal assent to the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act which introduced several new tools to regulate short-term rental accommodations, including:

• business licencing authority for Regional Districts
• increased bylaw enforcement penalties
• restrictions limiting short-term rentals to a principal residence, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling on the same property

While the principal residence requirement does not apply to Regional Districts by default, the legislation allows Regional Districts to opt-in upon request. In March 2024, three RDOS Electoral Areas requested to opt-in to the principal residence requirement (Electoral Areas “D”, “F” & “I”).

As a result of the Vacation Rental Review project, both bed and breakfast operation and vacation rental uses are now referred to as “short-term rental accommodation” in order to align with the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act.

In response to the new provincial legislation, the Regional District also adopted Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 3100, 2025. In some Electoral Areas (“A”, “D”, “E” & “I”), a business licence is now required to operate a short-term rental accommodation business.

Please visit the following webpage for more information, or to apply for a business licence:

Business Licences

As part of the Vacation Rental Review, some Okanagan Valley Electoral Areas (Electoral Areas “A”, “C” & “E”) identified a preference to maintain the historic distinction between bed and breakfast operations and vacation rentals. In these Areas, a Short-Term Rental Permit (STR Permit) application is required if the STR business does not include an operator present and living in the same dwelling as guests.

In Areas where a business licence requirement and STR Permit requirement apply, both a business licence and STR Permit application are required.

Historically, STRs in the Similkameen Valley Electoral Areas (Electoral Areas “B”, “G” and “H”), have either been unregulated or have only been permitted in the form of a “bed and breakfast operation” (i.e. with an operator present and residing in the same dwelling as guests).

Business licences and STR Permits are not required in the Similkameen Valley Electoral Areas and short-term rentals will continue to be regulated by the applicable zoning bylaw. To confirm zoning requirements in your area, please refer to the applicable zoning bylaw or contact planning@rdos.bc.ca. 

*       Except where an operator is present and residing in the same dwelling as guests.
**     Area “E” has not opted in to the Principal Residence Requirement under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, but has included policies in its Official Community Plan that support this approach.
***   Except at Apex Mountain Resort Area.

As of May 1, 2025, all short-term rental hosts in B.C. must register their short-term rental with the provincial short-term rental registry.

In areas where a business licence is required, the business licence number must be included in the registration and displayed when listing the short-term rental on online platforms.

In areas where the provincial principal residence requirement applies, this must be also be confirmed as part of the registration process.

To register as a short-term rental host, visit the Province of B.C. website.

In the context of the Regional District's land use bylaws, a "short-term rental accommodation" use is to be located in a residential dwelling unit or in another dwelling unit on the same property as a residential dwelling unit.

A residential dwelling unit is one that is normally or seasonally occupied on a regular basis by an occupant (i.e. it is someone's "permanent domicile").

The following are not considered a "short-term rental accommodation" use in the context of the Regional District's land use bylaws:

• when the accommodation unit is to be provided in an "accessory building or structure" (e.g. garage or workshop).
• when the accommodation unit is to be provided in an a “recreational vehicle”.
• when the accommodation unit is to be provided in a structure that is not a dwelling (e.g. tourist cabin or basement suite constructed without building permits)
• when there is no person who otherwise resides in a dwelling on the property on a permanent basis (e.g. "occassional or seasonal occupancy").

If a proposed use is determined to comprise one of the above or a similar scenario, it will be considered a "tourist accommodation" use by the Regional District. The Electoral Area “A”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F” & “I” Official Community Plan Bylaws discourage the use of a dwelling for tourist accommodation purposes.

A Short-Term Rental Permit Application Form can be downloaded from the following link:

Short-Term Rental Permit Application Form

Completed application forms can be submitted to the Planning Department at planning@rdos.bc.ca or at the Regional District office at 101 Martin Street, Penticton.

The application form listed above includes a list of all the documents required for a complete Short-Term Rental Permit application submission. Prospective applicants are asked to be aware that they will be required to submit a Health & Safety Inspection of the premises to be used for a short-term rental accommodation use meets minimum standards for health and safety. 

Health & Safety Inspection Application

Schedule 5 of the Regional District’s Development Procedures Bylaw No. 2500, 2011, also provides a detailed list of application requirements and processing procedures for STR Permit applications.

The following fees apply to STR permit applications:

• Delegated STR Permit: $500
• Delegated STR Permit Renewal/ Re-issuance: $500
• Non-Delegated STR Permit: $2,500
• Non-Delegated STR Permit Renewal/ Re-issuance: $1,250

NOTE: a property owner seeking to renew an existing STR Permit must submit an application to the Regional District prior to the expiration of the permit.

The following criteria will generally be used to assess an STR Permit application:

• provision of adequate off-street parking; and
• confirmation from a qualified person that the building meets a minimum standard for health and safety.

Applications that do not meet these criteria will be considered a 'Non-Delegated STR Permit' and must be considered by the Regional District Board.

A list of possible STR permit conditions is also included under the Temporary Use Permit Section found in each Electoral Area Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw which can be accessed here:

LAND USE BYLAWS

In order that residents may know that an STR permit application has been submitted to the Regional District, Planning staff will notify the application by:

• mailing a written notice to property owners within a radius of 100 metres;
• VoyentAlert! within a radius of 150 metres; and
• posting an application notice on the Regional District’s Public Notice Board.

In addition, the Regional District Board may direct that a Public Information Meeting occur prior to its consideration of a permit or that an application be considered by the Electoral Area Advisory Planning Committee, and applicants are asked to be aware of this possibility. Meeting occur prior to its consideration of a permit (see Section 5.1 of Bylaw No. 2500) and applicants are asked to be aware of this possibility.

If you operate a short-term rental accommodation and do not have a valid Short-Term Rental Permit or business licence (as required), you may be subject to daily fines if enforcement action is initiated.