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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No accommodation tax is recorded at this level in Vancouver.

Are local council rules for Vancouver included here?

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

Short-term rental rules in Vancouver

Last checked 2026-08-19. Jurisdiction code CA-BC-VAN.

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

What this means in practice

Vancouver requires TWO permissions and they are not substitutes for each other: a City of Vancouver short-term rental business licence, about CAD 1,108 a year, AND a British Columbia provincial short-term rental registration, about CAD 77 a year. Budget roughly CAD 1,185 a year in total.
Renewals are due by 31 December each year, and a late penalty of about CAD 111 applies after that date.
Short-term letting is permitted only in your principal residence, the home you live in for most of the year. Secondary properties and investment units do not qualify.
A short-term rental in Vancouver means letting an entire home or a room for fewer than 90 consecutive days. A longer tenancy is a different arrangement and is not covered by this licence.
British Columbia operates a PROVINCIAL short-term rental registration, about CAD 77 a year, which is separate from and additional to any city business licence. Holding the city licence does not satisfy the province, and holding the provincial registration does not satisfy the city. You need both.

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 Vancouver

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