Registration (two layers: city + province) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

Vancouver short-term rentals (stays under 90 consecutive days) require BOTH a City of Vancouver short-term rental business licence AND a separate BC provincial short-term rental registration number under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (STRAA); both numbers must be held before listing. (Official source : vancouver.ca.)

Listing display & platform validation — what is the rule in Vancouver?

Once registered, a host must display their provincial registration number on the listing (the Province set a May 1, 2025 deadline for this) and must display a valid business licence number on the listing in any area where the local government requires one. ⚠ THE ADDRESS MUST MATCH: the address on the short-term rental listing has to match the address associated with the registration, because platforms validate the registration number against it — a mismatch means the listing cannot be validated. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Eligibility (principal residence) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

Both layers restrict short-term rentals to the host's principal residence — the home where they actually live most of the year — plus, under the provincial rule, at most one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property; separate investment properties do not qualify. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Fees (municipal business licence) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

Vancouver's own city business licence for a short-term rental is reported at roughly $1,108/year, with a separate initial application fee. ⚠ WE CANNOT VERIFY THIS FIGURE: vancouver.ca blocks automated access, so we cannot read the City's fee page or detect a change to it. Treat it as an undated estimate and confirm the current amount with the City of Vancouver before budgeting. (Official source : vancouver.ca.)

Fees (provincial STRAA registration) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

British Columbia's provincial short-term rental registration (STRAA) fee is $100/year to register a short-term rental in the home where you live — your entire home while you are away, or bedroom(s) in it — and $450/year to register one you do not live in, such as a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property, or a strata hotel unit listed on a third-party platform. This is the PROVINCIAL layer and is separate from any municipal licence. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Fines & penalties — what is the rule in Vancouver?

The Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act lets municipalities set ticketing fines up to $3,000 per infraction per day for operating without a valid licence; separately, provincial administrative penalties under BC Reg 268/2023 Schedule 4 escalate $5,000 / $7,500 / $10,000 for a first / second / third-plus unregistered-listing violation, with the Act allowing a separate penalty for each day a contravention continues. (Official source : bclaws.gov.bc.ca.)

Accommodation taxes (PST + MRDT) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

British Columbia charges 8% PST on short-term accommodation, plus a 3% Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) in the City of Vancouver, plus an additional 2.5% Major Events MRDT that runs from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2030 — each listed separately on the invoice. The tax is calculated on the full purchase price, including cleaning, booking, administration, resort and similar fees, but not GST. PST and MRDT do not apply where the same guest stays 27 continuous days or more. ⚠ The small-supplier exemption (gross accommodation revenue under $2,500 in both the previous and the next 12 months) is available ONLY to a host who does NOT list on an online marketplace platform, so it does not reach a typical platform listing. Where a listing is on a marketplace whose facilitator is registered, that facilitator collects and remits the tax on those sales, but the host must still register and collect on any sales made through other channels. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Registration renewal (provincial STRAA — annual, 40-day window) — what is the rule in Vancouver?

B.C.'s provincial short-term-rental registration is NOT one-and-done: « All registrations must be renewed annually. » The renewal window opens 40 DAYS BEFORE your registration expires — the Province's own example: a host who registered February 20 sees the renewal window open on January 10. ⚠ DO NOT RELY ON THE REMINDERS ALONE: the Province says notifications to renew are sent by email 40 days, 14 days and 1 day before expiry, so a missed or filtered email leaves very little margin. Operating past expiry means operating unregistered. This provincial duty is separate from, and additional to, any municipal business-licence renewal. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

2026 registration changes — one per unit, and when a NEW registration is required — what is the rule in Vancouver?

The Province lists several changes for 2026 registrations and renewals. Only ONE registration is required per short-term-rental unit. A new registration is NOT required if you change which bedrooms are listed, or move from listing a bedroom to the entire unit, where the unit is already registered. ⚠ A NEW REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED if the host changes their legal name, legal business name, or the short-term-rental ADDRESS. Seasonal accommodations are exempt from registration (the Province publishes Seasonal Accommodation Policy Guidance). The accepted PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE DOCUMENTATION has changed — re-check what proof is accepted before renewing. Property managers who applied as a property host in 2025 should make a new application for 2026 providing the property host's information. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Change reporting — 14 days to tell the registrar — what is the rule in Vancouver?

⚠ A DEADLINE THAT FIRES MID-YEAR, not at renewal: BC Reg 268/2023 gives a registrant only 14 DAYS to report a change in prescribed information to the registrar. What counts is broader than most hosts expect — your short-term rental information, whether the property is still your PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE, and whether the offer is for an ENTIRE residence or only a portion of one. So moving out, changing which rooms you rent, or switching from a room to the whole unit each start a 14-day clock of their own. ⚠ Do not confuse this with the renewal reminder emails the Province sends at 40, 14 and 1 day before expiry — those are courtesy notices about renewal; this is a separate, self-triggered duty with no reminder at all. (Official source : bclaws.gov.bc.ca.)

Registering without Canadian ID — notarized affidavit and an 8-10 day wait — what is the rule in Vancouver?

⚠ A GATE BEFORE THE APPLICATION EVEN STARTS, and it catches non-resident owners. BC's registry is entered through a BC Registries account. If you hold an ID issued in Canada you set that up with your BC Services Card. If you DON'T have an ID issued in Canada, you must instead create the account with a BCeID and two-factor authentication — and that route requires a NOTARIZED IDENTITY AFFIDAVIT and takes roughly 8-10 DAYS to process. ⚠ Only after the account is approved and the confirmation email arrives can you even begin the registration form, so an overseas or newly-arrived owner should start this well before the season, not alongside the listing. (Official source : www2.gov.bc.ca.)

Official sources · Vancouver

Short-term-rental rules in Vancouver

Rules published · 11 rules published · official sources

This is a dated record of short-term-rental rules in Vancouver, summarized from the official government sources listed below. Source-read status is shown separately; the official link governs.

⚠ Coverage status — Vancouver: we cannot currently confirm automated checking for this market. Treat the rules below as a dated snapshot, last verified September 3, 2026. Verify against the official source before acting.

Each rule below shows the topic, a plain-language summary, and the link to the official source we read it from. The official link governs.

2/4 source reads recorded · latest successful read September 7, 2026 · record generated September 7, 2026

The rules, source by source

Registration (two layers: city + province)

Vancouver short-term rentals (stays under 90 consecutive days) require BOTH a City of Vancouver short-term rental business licence AND a separate BC provincial short-term rental registration number under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (STRAA); both numbers must be held before listing.

Official source: vancouver.ca ↗
Listing display & platform validation

Once registered, a host must display their provincial registration number on the listing (the Province set a May 1, 2025 deadline for this) and must display a valid business licence number on the listing in any area where the local government requires one. ⚠ THE ADDRESS MUST MATCH: the address on the short-term rental listing has to match the address associated with the registration, because platforms validate the registration number against it — a mismatch means the listing cannot be validated.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
Eligibility (principal residence)

Both layers restrict short-term rentals to the host's principal residence — the home where they actually live most of the year — plus, under the provincial rule, at most one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property; separate investment properties do not qualify.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
Fees (municipal business licence)

Vancouver's own city business licence for a short-term rental is reported at roughly $1,108/year, with a separate initial application fee. ⚠ WE CANNOT VERIFY THIS FIGURE: vancouver.ca blocks automated access, so we cannot read the City's fee page or detect a change to it. Treat it as an undated estimate and confirm the current amount with the City of Vancouver before budgeting.

Official source: vancouver.ca ↗
Fees (provincial STRAA registration)

British Columbia's provincial short-term rental registration (STRAA) fee is $100/year to register a short-term rental in the home where you live — your entire home while you are away, or bedroom(s) in it — and $450/year to register one you do not live in, such as a secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property, or a strata hotel unit listed on a third-party platform. This is the PROVINCIAL layer and is separate from any municipal licence.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
Fines & penalties

The Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act lets municipalities set ticketing fines up to $3,000 per infraction per day for operating without a valid licence; separately, provincial administrative penalties under BC Reg 268/2023 Schedule 4 escalate $5,000 / $7,500 / $10,000 for a first / second / third-plus unregistered-listing violation, with the Act allowing a separate penalty for each day a contravention continues.

Official source: bclaws.gov.bc.ca ↗
Accommodation taxes (PST + MRDT)

British Columbia charges 8% PST on short-term accommodation, plus a 3% Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) in the City of Vancouver, plus an additional 2.5% Major Events MRDT that runs from February 1, 2023 to January 31, 2030 — each listed separately on the invoice. The tax is calculated on the full purchase price, including cleaning, booking, administration, resort and similar fees, but not GST. PST and MRDT do not apply where the same guest stays 27 continuous days or more. ⚠ The small-supplier exemption (gross accommodation revenue under $2,500 in both the previous and the next 12 months) is available ONLY to a host who does NOT list on an online marketplace platform, so it does not reach a typical platform listing. Where a listing is on a marketplace whose facilitator is registered, that facilitator collects and remits the tax on those sales, but the host must still register and collect on any sales made through other channels.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
Registration renewal (provincial STRAA — annual, 40-day window)

B.C.'s provincial short-term-rental registration is NOT one-and-done: « All registrations must be renewed annually. » The renewal window opens 40 DAYS BEFORE your registration expires — the Province's own example: a host who registered February 20 sees the renewal window open on January 10. ⚠ DO NOT RELY ON THE REMINDERS ALONE: the Province says notifications to renew are sent by email 40 days, 14 days and 1 day before expiry, so a missed or filtered email leaves very little margin. Operating past expiry means operating unregistered. This provincial duty is separate from, and additional to, any municipal business-licence renewal.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
2026 registration changes — one per unit, and when a NEW registration is required

The Province lists several changes for 2026 registrations and renewals. Only ONE registration is required per short-term-rental unit. A new registration is NOT required if you change which bedrooms are listed, or move from listing a bedroom to the entire unit, where the unit is already registered. ⚠ A NEW REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED if the host changes their legal name, legal business name, or the short-term-rental ADDRESS. Seasonal accommodations are exempt from registration (the Province publishes Seasonal Accommodation Policy Guidance). The accepted PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE DOCUMENTATION has changed — re-check what proof is accepted before renewing. Property managers who applied as a property host in 2025 should make a new application for 2026 providing the property host's information.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗
Change reporting — 14 days to tell the registrar

⚠ A DEADLINE THAT FIRES MID-YEAR, not at renewal: BC Reg 268/2023 gives a registrant only 14 DAYS to report a change in prescribed information to the registrar. What counts is broader than most hosts expect — your short-term rental information, whether the property is still your PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE, and whether the offer is for an ENTIRE residence or only a portion of one. So moving out, changing which rooms you rent, or switching from a room to the whole unit each start a 14-day clock of their own. ⚠ Do not confuse this with the renewal reminder emails the Province sends at 40, 14 and 1 day before expiry — those are courtesy notices about renewal; this is a separate, self-triggered duty with no reminder at all.

Official source: bclaws.gov.bc.ca ↗
Registering without Canadian ID — notarized affidavit and an 8-10 day wait

⚠ A GATE BEFORE THE APPLICATION EVEN STARTS, and it catches non-resident owners. BC's registry is entered through a BC Registries account. If you hold an ID issued in Canada you set that up with your BC Services Card. If you DON'T have an ID issued in Canada, you must instead create the account with a BCeID and two-factor authentication — and that route requires a NOTARIZED IDENTITY AFFIDAVIT and takes roughly 8-10 DAYS to process. ⚠ Only after the account is approved and the confirmation email arrives can you even begin the registration form, so an overseas or newly-arrived owner should start this well before the season, not alongside the listing.

Official source: www2.gov.bc.ca ↗

Recently changed

No record No confirmed change has been recorded yet for Vancouver. When a rule moves at the source, we publish a dated summary here of what is different — and this page reflects the most recent confirmed state.

Follow updates for Vancouver.

When a confirmed change is recorded in Vancouver, it can be included in your source-linked recap. A month with no confirmed change produces no recap.

The rules, source by source

Registration (two layers: city + province)

Listing display & platform validation

Eligibility (principal residence)

Fees (municipal business licence)

Fees (provincial STRAA registration)

Fines & penalties

Accommodation taxes (PST + MRDT)

Registration renewal (provincial STRAA — annual, 40-day window)

2026 registration changes — one per unit, and when a NEW registration is required

Change reporting — 14 days to tell the registrar

Registering without Canadian ID — notarized affidavit and an 8-10 day wait

Related reading

Follow updates for Vancouver.