Short Term Rental REGISTRY

GUIDELINES AND REGISTRY LINKS

STR REGISTRY

In January, the Government of British Columbia introduced a provincial short-term rental (STR) registry to help increase housing availability across the province and crack down on illegal short-term rental operations. Starting May 1, 2025, all short-term rental operators in B.C. will be required to register with the Province and display a provincial registration number on their listings. This includes all hosts—whether they rent out a room in their home or an entire property—on platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and others. Additionally, strata hotels, where individual units are owned but operated as part of a hotel-like business, will also need to comply with this registry.

As of June 1, 2025, any listings that do not display a valid provincial registration number will be removed from STR platforms. This will help ensure that all short-term rentals operating in the province are following the rules and contributing to the creation of more long-term housing options. The government is committed to reining in illegal short-term rentals while allowing responsible operators—whether private hosts or strata hotels—to continue offering accommodations within a regulated framework.

Since March 2024, the introduction of the principal-residence requirement has already led to a 10 percent reduction in entire-home listings in areas where the rule applies, helping to return more properties to the long-term rental market. This new registry will build on those efforts and further support housing availability by ensuring that only legitimate, registered operators can continue listing on short-term rental platforms.

WHAT HOSTS NEED TO KNOW

If you are an individual host operating a short-term rental in B.C., here are the important details:

  • Mandatory Registration – All individual hosts must register with the Province, even if they operate outside areas with the principal-residence requirement.
  • Annual Registration Fees – The registration fee for individual hosts is:
    o $100 per year for STRs where the host lives on-site (e.g., a home rented while away or a bedroom within the home).
    o $450 per year for STRs where the host does not live on-site (e.g., secondary suites, cottages, laneway homes).
  • Early Registration Discounts – Hosts who register by February 28, 2025 will receive a 50 percent discount, while those registering by March 31, 2025 will receive a 25 percent discount.
  • Enforcement and Compliance – Listings that do not display a valid provincial registration number will be removed from platforms starting June 1, 2025.
  • Local Regulations – In addition to registering with the Province, hosts must comply with any local bylaws and business license requirements set by their municipalities.

To register as a host, visit the following link:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry/host-registration

WHAT STRATA HOTELS NEED TO KNOW

Strata hotels—properties with individually owned units that operate as part of a collective hotel-like business—need to register separately, but with a different registration fee. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Mandatory Registration – Strata hotels, where individual units are owned but operated together, must register under the strata hotel category.
  • Annual Registration Fees – The registration fee for strata hotels is:
    o $600 per year for the entire property, which includes all units operating under the strata hotel arrangement.
  • Hosts with short-term rental units within a registered strata hotel that advertise only through the strata hotel’s own platform are exempt from the requirement to register.
  • Hosts with short-term rental units within a strata hotel who manage their short-term rental independently and advertise on a third-party platform such as, for example, Airbnb, Expedia or Booking.com, must register their listing as a host and pay an annual fee of $450.00 for a short-term rental where the host does not live.
  • Early Registration Discounts – Strata hotel operators who register by February 28, 2025 will receive a 50 percent discount, while those registering by March 31, 2025 will receive a 25 percent discount.
  • Enforcement and Compliance – As with hosts, any strata hotel listings that do not display a valid provincial registration number will be removed from platforms starting June 1, 2025.
  • Local Regulations – Strata hotels must also comply with any local bylaws and business license requirements specific to their municipality.

Principal residence exemption for strata hotels
If the strata hotel is located in a community where the principal residence requirement applies, strata hotel platforms and hosts will be required to demonstrate that they meet one of three principal residence exemptions for strata hotels by providing supporting documentation. More information about the exemptions may be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry/registry-toc-strataplatforms#PRexempt

To learn more and register your strata hotel, visit the following link:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry/strata-registration

RESOURCES AND MORE INFORMATION

If you have questions about B.C.’s short-term rental legislation, please contact the Service BC Contact Center at 1-833-828-2240.

The Service BC Contact Center is available Mon to Fri from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, with help available on the phone, toll free, in 140 languages and for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

You may also email the short-term rental registry team at STRregistry@gov.bc.ca

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