Short-term-rental rules in Calgary
This is a dated record of short-term-rental rules in Calgary, summarized from the official government sources listed below. Source-read status is shown separately; the official link governs.
3/3 source reads recorded · latest successful read September 7, 2026 · record generated September 7, 2026
The rules, source by source
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Registration (business licence)
Operating a short-term rental in Calgary requires a Short-Term Rental Business Licence under the Business Licence Bylaw; applicants must provide a fire-safety plan, proof of ownership or owner consent (validated by title search), and proof of liability insurance of at least $2 million — ⚠ which the City requires to be issued by a registered insurer in Alberta, so an out-of-province policy may not qualify — and every listing's advertising must display the licence number. ⚠ The licence holder (the applicant) must themselves be the insurance policy holder — a policy in someone else's name does not satisfy the requirement — and where the applicant is a property management company, it must provide its own liability insurance.
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Fire inspection (pre-licence, and possibly annual)
⚠ A GATE ON OPERATING AT ALL, not a formality: every short-term rental must PASS a fire inspection before a business licence can be issued. You book and complete the inspection after submitting the application, the property must meet all safety and permit requirements before the inspection takes place, and if deficiencies are found they must be corrected before approval is granted. Beyond licensing, the City states that annual fire inspections by the Calgary Fire Department may be required to confirm ongoing compliance with life-safety requirements.
Official source: calgary.ca ↗ -
Eligibility (primary vs non-primary)
Since amendments effective Apr 1 2025, Calgary licenses short-term rentals as either 'primary residence' or 'non-primary residence,' with the short-term-rental definition widened to cover stays of up to 180 consecutive days. City Council approved a moratorium on NEW non-primary residence licences tied to the rental vacancy rate, but ⚠ the City states it did NOT take effect in 2025 because the CMHC purpose-built rental vacancy rate was 4.8%. If that rate falls below 2.5%, the City says it would impose only a temporary pause on issuing NEW non-primary licences — it would not apply to new primary-residence applications, and existing licences are not affected. Also effective Apr 1 2025: the City will NOT issue a short-term-rental business licence for a home designated as affordable housing. Separately, condo-board consent is no longer required by the City — though applicants must still comply with their condominium's own bylaws.
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Fees
New licences cost $172 (primary residence) or $510 (non-primary residence), plus a $117 fire-inspection fee for both new and renewal applications; renewals are $131 (primary) or $260 (non-primary); a separate short-term-rental company/platform licence category carries an annual $3,000 fee.
Official source: calgary.ca ↗ -
Fines & penalties
The Business Licence Bylaw sets a $1,000 fine upon conviction for each of several offence categories, including failing to display the licence number in advertising, operating without required egress windows, exceeding 2 occupants per room, allowing overlapping bookings, not posting 24-hour emergency contact information, and failing to maintain or provide guest records.
Official source: calgary.ca ↗ -
Fire-safety plan — what it must actually show
⚠ THE PLAN IS NOT A FORMALITY — it has required CONTENTS, and an incomplete one is what stalls an application. Calgary's fire-safety plan must map: every accessible room and floor a renter can use, INCLUDING bedrooms and sleeping areas — the City explicitly counts a living room with a fold-out couch as a sleeping area, which is the element hosts most often miss; the location of smoke alarms, fire extinguishers AND carbon monoxide detectors; and fire exit locations. These contents came in with the January 2024 business-licence changes, alongside proof of ownership or owner consent validated by a title search and, for condos, written approval from the condo board.
Official source: calgary.ca ↗
Related reading
Informational only — not legal advice. This service summarizes publicly available government information and may be incomplete, out of date, or in error. Rules change frequently and can be altered by courts without notice. Always verify against the official source and consult a qualified attorney before making decisions. No attorney-client relationship is created.
We describe the rules and when they change — we never tell you whether your specific situation is compliant. That’s between you, the official source, and your own advisor.
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