Navigating B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Registration (2025): Your Step-by-Step Guide

The Province of BC has introduced a new requirement for hosts offering short-term rentals: a provincial registration number. This change is central to the B.C. NDP's efforts to shift properties away from vacation rentals and into the long-term rental market.

Whether you're renting out your home, an investment property, or managing listings as a property manager, this legislation may impact you – though stays over 90 nights are exempt from the requirement to obtain a registration number.

In this article, we'll explain how to register, and a few of the nuances, to help you adapt and continue to do business confidently as a host running a monthly furnished rental in BC.

Do I need a provincial registration number for my short-term rental in B.C.?

If you rent out a property in British Columbia for less than 90 consecutive days, you need a provincial registration number. Starting May 1, 2025, accommodation platforms will be prevented from listing any B.C. property under 90 nights without a valid registration number. To ensure your property remains visible on platforms past that date, secure your registration number ahead of time.

What types of residences does the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act apply to?

This legislation targets properties rented out for less than 90 consecutive days. Here's how it applies to different types of residences in B.C.:

• Primary residence: This is what the Province refers to as your main home (house, apartment, or condo), ie. where you centre your home life. If you rent this out while you're away for less than 90 days, or if you rent out a suite on the same property for less than 90 days, you'll need a registration number – one for each rental on the property.
• Non-primary residence: A property you don't live in daily, such as a vacation home or investment condo. According to BC's new rules, a registration number cannot be obtained for rentals that are less than 90 consecutive days, unless your municipality opts out, or it's located in a rural area.
• Strata hotel: A property functioning like a hotel or motel, with individually owned units similar to a condo building. These must register separately as a platform with the Province of BC. If you're a host within a strata hotel, and you manage your unit independently of the strata hotel itself, you're required to obtain a registration number by May 1, 2025, and pay an annual fee.

What are "accommodation platforms"?

The Province of BC refers to "accommodation platforms" throughout it's legislation. This refers to entities such as Airbnb, VRBO, and Vancouver Short Stay, as third-party platforms, operating websites or apps where hosts list their properties.

A strata hotel is also considered a platform, typically managing its own booking website or other system, operated directly by the strata hotel to advertise and manage short-term rentals for units within its property.

How much does it cost to register a rental in B.C. under these changes?

Here are the current registration fees, set by the STR Branch within B.C.'s Ministry of Housing (subject to change – check for updates):

• $100/year: For your primary residence, where you live most of the time.
• $450/year: For primary residences where you do not live, like a ground-level suite or laneway home.
• $600/year: For strata hotel units in properties operating like hotels or motels.

When do I need to register my short-term rental by?

You need to register your short-term rental with a provincial registration number as soon as possible, and no later than May 1, 2025, to avoid losing visibility or reservations on accommodation platforms. Here's the timeline:

• Now
  • Apply for your provincial registration number.
  • Add your provincial registration number to your listing page.
• Starting May 1, 2025
  • Platforms must stop advertising unregistered listings and prevent any new reservations.
• Starting June 1, 2025
  • In addition to the above, platforms must also cancel any existing future reservations for unregistered listings.

How does the primary residence rule affect my ability to rent to guests?

The new B.C. short-term rental rules hinge on whether a property is your primary residence, especially for stays under 90 days. Here's how it impacts your ability to host:

• Primary residence: If the property is where you call home, you can rent it out for stays under 90 days — like when you go away, or if you rent out a suite on the same property — but you must register with the province. This applies in most areas, such as cities with 10,000+ people and adjacent municipalities.
• Non-primary residence: If it's not your primary residence (vacation home or investment property), renting for less than 90 days is generally prohibited unless your area opts out or it's a rural location. In those cases, you're restricted to offering stays of 90 days or longer, and registration may still be required if short-term rentals are allowed.

For any stay under 90 days, a provincial registration number is mandatory where permitted. For longer stays, different rules apply – see below.

How are stays of 3 months (90 days) or longer treated under these new changes?

Stays of 90 days or longer fall completely outside the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act in B.C. Here's what that means for you:

• No registration needed: If you set your listing's minimum stay to 90 nights or more, you don't need a provincial registration number – whether it's your primary residence (where you live most of the time) or a non-primary property such as an investment condo or second home.
• No location restrictions: Unlike short-term rentals, these "mid-term" stays are exempt from the Act's rules everywhere in B.C., providing a fairly flexible option.

Are there local rules I need to follow besides the provincial short-term rental registration?

Local business licenses or municipal rules might still apply and can override the province's rules with ones that are more strict, so check your area. The way that you use your property, and its location, determine what you can do – knowing this keeps you on the right side of the rules.

Examples of how B.C.'s new rules could affect my rental activity

Example 1: Travelling Joe's personal residence

Joe lives in Victoria, B.C., and is aiming to pay for his upcoming trip by renting out his condo for a month while he's traveling in Europe.

How do the new registration rules affect Joe?

Joe needs a provincial registration number because the Province of BC requires listings offering a rental between 30-90 nights to be registered with the province. Joe still needs to check that the City of Victoria allows rentals under 90 nights, as with any other municipality in B.C.

Example 2: Marvellous Miriam's ground-level suite

Miriam lives upstairs in her Vancouver, B.C., home and rents out her ground-level suite to guests for 30-90 nights throughout the year.

How do the new registration rules affect Miriam?

Miriam needs a provincial registration number to rent out her suite to guests for stays between 30-90 nights. She'll need to check with the City of Vancouver as well for their requirements.

Example 3: Ambitious Eric, and his triple-unit property

Eric lives upstairs in his Kelowna, B.C., property and rents out a detached garden suite and a ground-level suite, each available for 30-90 nights annually.

How do the new registration rules affect Eric?

Eric must obtain two separate provincial registration numbers, one for each suite that he intends to rent out. The Province's rules prevent him from renting out his personal unit at the same time, however; two total rentals are allowed. Kelowna may require individual registration for short-term rentals under 90 nights.

Example 4: Driven Deidre's investment condo

Deidre owns an investment condo in Whistler, B.C., which she rents out with a 90-night minimum stay for medium-term guests. She doesn't designate this property as her primary residence.

How do the new registration rules affect Diedre?

Deidre doesn't need a provincial registration number since her condo's 90-night minimum exceeds the short-term rental threshold under BC's rules.

Need help navigating these changes?

Thinking about hosting your home, or already hosting on another platform but confused about your options? Vancouver Short Stay offers complimentary help no matter what your situation, including assistance on navigating the BC NDP's legislation — you're not alone.

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  Helpful resources and legacy expertise

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  Hosting and support

  Join a network of like-minded hosts, ask questions, and receive tailored tips – all personalized for your specific needs.

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  Advocacy

  Monthly furnished rentals add much needed housing to the community, and they boost local housing flexibility – they're distinct from vacation rentals where guests aren't part of the community. We disagree that rentals over one month should be included in the definition of short-term rentals. Contact us to join our advocacy initiative.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I get a Provincial registration number for my rental in British Columbia?

Visit the B.C. government's Short-Term Rental Registry portal here, fill out the online application with your property details, and pay the fee ($100-$600, depending on the property type). Once approved, you'll receive your unique registration number to add to your listing.

Do I need to register a one-month rental in British Columbia?

Yup, in British Columbia, renting your property for under 90 nights qualifies as a short-term rental, requiring registration with the Province's Short-Term Rental Accommodations Registry.

Can I still rent out my vacation home in the Province of BC?

Yes. Vacation homes work great for monthly stays. For stays of over 90 nights there's no requirement to get an NDP Provincial registration number. For stays that are shorter than 90 nights it's $100 - $450 annually to register, unless an exemption applies to your area. Be sure to check with your local municipality for further details.

Do I need to register if I rent on Indigenous or reserve land in British Columbia?

No – those areas are exempt from B.C.'s short-term rental rules, so you can host guests for over 30 days without registering.

Can I register multiple properties at once under British Columbia's new short term rental rules?

Yes, but each unit needs its own Provincial registration number – apply separately for each through the provincial portal. An example would be two rental suites on the same property as a primary residence.

Conclusion

B.C.’s short-term rental rules are evolving, but with the right know-how, you’ll stay ahead. Meet the May 1, 2025 deadline, choose your strategy, and keep your monthly furnished rental business thriving.