BC's Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act (2023)
BC's Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act came into force in May 2023 and was significantly strengthened by amendments in 2024. The core change: short-term rentals in BC are now restricted to your principal residence in most municipalities. This means you can rent your home (or a suite within your home) on Airbnb, but you cannot rent out a second property, investment condo, or property where you don't primarily live.
Principal Residence Rule: What It Means
Your principal residence is where you live the majority of the time — where you're registered to vote, where you pay taxes, where your driver's licence is addressed. The rule applies in all municipalities with 10,000+ residents. For smaller communities (many Okanagan towns, for example), local bylaws may differ. The Province maintains a registry of exempt areas — check the BC Short-Term Rental Registry before assuming your municipality is exempt.
Business Licence Requirements in Major BC Cities
Vancouver: Business licence required. Your licence number must appear in your Airbnb listing. Enforcement includes automated scanning of listing platforms for unlicensed properties.
Kelowna: Business licence required. Short-term rental zoning maps are available from the City — not all zones permit STRs even with a licence.
Victoria: Business licence and principal residence declaration required. Victoria has reduced its STR inventory significantly since 2023 enforcement.
North Vancouver: Both City and District require business licences. Building strata bylaws may also restrict STRs — check your strata bylaw before listing.
Platforms Must Verify Compliance
Under the 2024 amendments, Airbnb and VRBO are legally required to remove listings that don't display a valid provincial registration number. BC launched a provincial STR registry — every listing in BC must have a registration number displayed. The registration confirms your principal residence status and municipality licence compliance.
What's Enforced: Fines and Consequences
Unlicensed STR operators in BC face fines up to $10,000 per day in larger municipalities. Platform delisting for non-compliant listings is now standard. If your property is reported by a neighbour or flagged by automated systems, you can expect a compliance order before fines — but repeated violations escalate to fines and potential civil penalty.
What This Means for Your Cleaning Operations
Compliant STR hosts in BC are typically running higher-quality operations — proper cleaning, proper documentation, and professional turnover services. If you're compliant and running a well-maintained listing, professional turnover cleaning is both a business and regulatory necessity. Maidless provides Airbnb turnover cleaning throughout Metro Vancouver, Kelowna, and Victoria. Book at maidless.ca.