Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental (STR) refers to the accommodation of guests in a residential home for a period of less than 30 days. Residents of Fernie must apply for a business license to operate a legal short-term rental in their primary residence.

Which properties qualify for a Short-Term Rental?

  • A room or rooms in your primary residence.
  • An apartment, or house that is your primary residence.
  • Properties zoned as Condo/Hotels in the C-1, C-HWY, CD-2 and R3R zones, as outlined in the Zoning Bylaw No. 1750.

Which properties DO NOT qualify for a Short-Term Rental?

  • Secondary Suites (including basement suites)
  • Attached and detached Garage Suites
  • Garden Suites
  • Secondary Homes

Short Term Rental Business Licenses are issued according to the Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, 2003. Read through Section 12 and Schedule "C" of the bylaw to review the list of regulations that must be met.

How to Apply

A link to the application form and list of required supporting documents are available on the Business License information page.

If you have any questions about short-term rental regulations, please contact Bylaw Services at 250.423.2244 or bylawservices@fernie.ca

Provincial Regulations

Starting May 1st, 2024, the Province of British Columbia requires short-term rentals to meet new regulations, including a principal residence requirement. The Provincial regulations apply if you rent your property for a period of less than 90 consecutive days. For more information, visit the Provincial government website.

All short-term rentals must have a City of Fernie Business License. Anyone operating a short-term rental in B.C. and listing on a platform, which may include, for example, Airbnb, VRBO, or Booking.com, is also required to register with the Provincial Government of British Columbia.

Hosts, platforms, and strata hotel platforms operating in B.C. must follow a simple online process to register with the province by May 1, 2025. All applicants are encouraged to register early to ensure that their application can be processed before May 1, 2025. This will help to avoid disruptions to short-term rental operations.

Hosts will receive a 50% discount on provincial fees if they register with the province by February 28, 2025, or a 25% discount if they register by March 31, 2025. Registration fees will support the short-term rental enforcement program and help ensure homes are being used for people living and working in B.C.

Hosts who do not comply will:

  • have their listings taken down, starting May 1, 2025
  • have future bookings cancelled, starting June 1, 2025

Please see the following link on how to register:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry

PST and Tourism Tax

The Province of British Columbia requires short-term rental hosts and most providers of paid accommodation to remit PST (Provincial Sales Tax) and the local tourism tax for all guest stays of 26 days or less. Some online platforms, such as Airbnb, may remit this on the host's behalf; however, it is the accommodation provider's responsibility to comply with taxation laws.

For information on how to complete PST returns, visit the Provincial government website.