Do I need to register a short-term rental in Ottawa?

Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in Ottawa before the property is let.

How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in Ottawa?

No annual night limit is recorded at this level in Ottawa.

Does a short-term rental in Ottawa have to be my main home?

Yes. Ottawa requires the property to be the operator's principal or primary residence.

Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in Ottawa?

No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in Ottawa.

Are local council rules for Ottawa included here?

Yes. The rules shown for Ottawa are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-08-19.

Short-term rental rules in Ottawa

Last checked 2026-08-19. Jurisdiction code CA-ON-OTT.

Registration or licence	Required before letting
Night limit	No limit recorded at this level
Primary residence	Required

What this means in practice

Ottawa permits a short-term rental in ANY zone, but only as a temporary secondary use within the operator's PRINCIPAL PLACE OF RESIDENCE. That is the rule that decides everything else: an investment property you do not live in does not qualify, wherever it is.
A host permit is required for letting your principal residence, or part of it, for fewer than 30 consecutive nights. Permits must be RENEWED EVERY TWO YEARS. Cuvanti has NOT verified the fee, because published figures disagree, so no amount is shown here.
Your host permit serial number must appear in every advertisement and listing.
There is a rural exception. A cottage rental is the letting of a dwelling that is NOT your principal residence, for fewer than 30 consecutive nights, in a rural zone, and it has its own permit. If your property is rural, you are not necessarily barred by the principal residence rule.
Short-term letting is PROHIBITED in subzones AG4 to AG8 inclusive, and wherever the applicable exception in the zoning tables states that a bed and breakfast is prohibited. Cuvanti cannot resolve a subzone from an address, so check yours before letting.
In an additional dwelling unit or coach house, letting is permitted only where that unit is exclusively and separately occupied as somebody's principal residence, and only the person who actually lives there may operate it. You cannot let out a coach house in the grounds of your home on this basis.
A short-term rental may not change the external residential appearance of the dwelling, or cause adverse effects such as excessive traffic, parking or noise.
TIME-LIMITED, AND THIS IS EASY TO MISS. Section 121A of the zoning by-law, which is what permits short-term rentals in the first place, is repealed in its entirety on 7 FEBRUARY 2027. What replaces it, if anything, is not settled. Do not assume the current position holds into the 2027 season without checking.

Cuvanti tracks this for your properties automatically

Night limits count across every channel you are connected to, not one platform at a time, which is the only way the number means anything. Cuvanti warns you before a booking would breach a limit, and tells you when a rule in your market changes.

See how it works

Common questions about short-term rentals in Ottawa

Do I need to register a short-term rental in Ottawa?: Yes. A registration or licence must be in place in Ottawa before the property is let.
How many nights a year can I let a short-term rental in Ottawa?: No annual night limit is recorded at this level in Ottawa.
Does a short-term rental in Ottawa have to be my main home?: Yes. Ottawa requires the property to be the operator's principal or primary residence.
Is there an accommodation tax on short-term rentals in Ottawa?: No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in Ottawa.
Are local council rules for Ottawa included here?: Yes. The rules shown for Ottawa are the ones that bind an operator at this level, last checked 2026-08-19.

This is not legal advice. It covers registration, night limits and accommodation taxes for the markets Cuvanti has configured, and does not cover every local rule, including planning controls, building and fire safety requirements, and strata or body corporate by-laws. Check your own obligations with a local adviser before you let.