The short answer
Only in limited ways: as of June 1, 2026 the provincial principal residence requirement applies in all five cities, limiting rentals of under 90 consecutive days to the host’s own home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property. Hosts must also register with the provincial registry each year and follow any stricter local bylaws. In a strata, bylaws can ban short-term rentals outright, with fines of up to $1,000 a day.
Check current rules: The list of communities covered can change each year as local governments opt in or out. The list cited here is as of June 1, 2026.
In plain English
BC’s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act defines a short-term rental as accommodation provided to members of the public in a host’s property, for money, for less than 90 consecutive days. That definition is what the provincial rules below apply to.
The principal residence requirement is the key limit. Where it applies, short-term rentals are limited to the host’s principal residence, the home where they live, sleep and eat, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property. A second condo, a separate investment house or a whole duplex unit that is not your home does not qualify.
It applies in municipalities with 10,000 or more people and some smaller neighbouring communities, and communities can opt in each year. The Province’s list, as of June 1, 2026, includes Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Langley City, the Township of Langley, Richmond and Surrey. The Province also has an interactive map for checking an address.
Registration is separate from the principal residence rule.
Short-term rental hosts must register with the Province and pay annual registration fees, and registration is per unit, not per property, so a home and its suite each need their own number. Fees depend on whether the unit being registered is the host’s principal residence.
Listings without valid registration can be removed and bookings cancelled.
Local rules can be stricter.
The provincial requirement is a minimum, and municipalities and regional districts can have their own short-term rental bylaws, including their own principal residence rules. Hosts must comply with all of them.
Strata buildings add one more layer.
A strata corporation can create a bylaw, by a 3/4 vote of owners, that limits or bans short-term rentals, and can fine up to $1,000 a day for breaches. This is different from long-term rentals, which a strata can no longer restrict.
How it works
Check the address against the provincial map
Confirm whether the principal residence requirement applies where the property is located.
Be honest about whether it is your principal residence
The rental must be in the home you live in, or one suite or accessory dwelling unit on that same property.
Read the local bylaws
Your municipality may set stricter limits than the Province. Check with your local government before you list.
Read the strata bylaws if it is a strata lot
A short-term rental ban in the bylaws can apply even where the Province and city would allow it.
Register each unit and renew each year
Register each short-term rental unit with the provincial registry and renew the registration every year.
Re-check every year
The communities covered can change each year, and so can local bylaws.
Who it applies to, and the exceptions
Usually applies to
- Homeowners renting part or all of their own home for stays under 90 consecutive days.
- Owners with a secondary suite, coach house or laneway home on the same lot as their home.
- Buyers looking at a property listed as a former short-term rental.
Exceptions and limits
- The Province lists exemptions from the principal residence requirement, including certain strata hotels, fractional ownership properties and some farm land; check the current list.
- Bed and breakfasts may operate where the owner lives on the property, since guests do not have their own cooking facilities.
- Communities not on the list, and smaller communities that have not opted in, are outside the provincial requirement but may still have local rules.
Common mistakes
- Buying a second condo in Surrey or Richmond expecting to run it as a nightly rental.
- Registering the property once when the home and the suite each need a registration.
- Ignoring strata bylaws because the city allows short-term rentals.
- Forgetting the annual renewal, which can lead to listings being removed.
- Relying on an old listing’s rental history as proof that the use is allowed today.
Questions people also ask
Is Airbnb allowed in Surrey?
Only within the provincial principal residence requirement, which applies to Surrey as of June 1, 2026: your own principal residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property, along with any City of Surrey bylaws.
What counts as a short-term rental in BC?
Accommodation provided to the public in a host’s property, for money, for less than 90 consecutive days.
Can I short-term rent my basement suite?
Where the principal residence requirement applies, one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property as your principal residence can be rented short term, subject to registration and local bylaws.
Do I need to register with the Province?
Yes. Short-term rental hosts must register with the provincial registry, pay annual fees and renew each year. Each unit needs its own registration.
Can my strata ban short-term rentals?
Yes. A strata can pass a bylaw by a 3/4 vote to limit or ban short-term rentals and can fine up to $1,000 a day.
Can a city have stricter rules than the Province?
Yes. The provincial principal residence requirement is a minimum, and local governments can have more restrictive short-term rental bylaws.
Official sources
Facts on this page come from the official sources below, reviewed October 6, 2026. Rules, amounts and dates change; confirm the current version and your own eligibility before acting. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
- B.C.’s short-term rental principal residence requirementProvince of British Columbia
- Short-term rental registrationProvince of British Columbia
- Strata short-term rental bylawsProvince of British Columbia