In Electoral Areas “A”, “C” & “E”, property owners and residents are required to obtain a “Short-Term Rental Accommodation” (STR) Permit prior to obtaining a business licence and commencing such a use.

The following table provides information on other Regional District approvals that may be required prior to commencing an STR use:

*       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.

To complete an application, please fill out the: Short-Term Rental Permit Application Form

For more general information, view our: STR Permit Brochure (coming soon).

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

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.

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.