INFORMATION RELEASE

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) Board of Directors gave third reading to new bylaws regulating short-term rental accommodations in Electoral Areas “A”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F” and “I”. The board voted on the amendments at the Thursday, September 18, 2025, meeting of the RDOS Board of Directors.

A public hearing on the Official Community Plan (OCP) and zoning amendment bylaws was held and recessed on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The public hearing resumed on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 9:00 am.

RDOS staff facilitated an information meeting prior to the September 18 public hearing to provide information and answer questions about the proposed changes.

The proposed changes follow a comprehensive review of short-term rental accommodations in response to recent provincial legislation. The RDOS Board of Directors will consider whether to adopt the new bylaws at the Thursday, October 2, 2025, board meeting.

Proposed changes that may affect you:

• New permit requirements
  In Electoral Areas “A”, “C”, and “E”, property owners would be required to obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit to operate a short-term rental.
• New business licence requirements

In Electoral Areas “A”, “D”, “E” and “I”, a business licence would be required to operate a short-term rental business. In Electoral Area “E”, a business licence would be required to operate all other tourist accommodation businesses.

• A short-term rental accommodation business in the Apex Mountain Resort area of Electoral Area “I” is exempt from the requirement for a business licence.

• Principal residence rule
  In Electoral Areas “D”, “E”, “F”, and “I”, vacation rentals would be restricted to a principal residence or a dwelling on the same property as a principal residence.
• Updated bylaws
  Several bylaw amendments are proposed to support these changes, including the Official Community Plan, Zoning Bylaw, Development Procedures Bylaw, and others.

These proposed updates aim to balance community needs, housing availability, and tourism by ensuring short-term rentals are properly regulated and integrated into local neighbourhoods.

If you operate or plan to operate a short-term rental, please review the current requirements on the RDOS website and contact RDOS Planning Services at planning@rdos.bc.ca for guidance.

Any changes to the current bylaws will be posted on the planning web pages at rdos.bc.ca.

For information about business licences (Bylaw No. 3100, 2025), please select the Regional Bylaws tab on the RDOS website and click Business Licensing.

For further information, please contact RDOS Communications.

-30-

Mark Pendergraft, Chair
Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen 

Contact:
RDOS Communications
250-490-4148
Toll-free 1-877-610-3737