Electoral Area C: Short-Term Rentals Consultation
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Short-Term Rentals in Electoral Area C (Discovery Islands – Mainland Inlets)
As part of the Stronger BC strategy, the Ministry of Housing released the Homes for People housing action plan in April 2023. This plan is intended to address the housing crisis across BC and includes several pieces of new or revised legislation with implications for communities, including Electoral Area C – Discovery Islands and Mainland Inlets.
One example of this is Bill 35, the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (STRAA). Short-Term Rentals are a land use where a visitor occupies a dwelling unit for 90 days or less. Also called “vacation rentals,” this land use is often facilitated by apps such as AirBnB or VRBO.
Some parts of the STRAA apply to all areas in BC regardless of population, including:
- EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2024: STR operators must provide a valid business license (where applicable), a provincial registration number (once in effect), and other information as may be required (such as proof of compliance with local bylaws) to the website that hosts their STR offer (i.e. Airbnb). Failure to do so may result in their listing being removed from the site.
- EFFECTIVE LATE 2024: Short-Term Rentals (STRs) must be registered with the Province of BC. The provincial registry is currently in development, so stay tuned for details about how this registry will work.
Another key provision of the STRAA is the Principal Residence Requirement, which limits the operation of STRs to a host’s principal residence, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit (ADU) located on the same property. This provision would apply in addition to local bylaws that regulate STRs (such as zoning bylaws). It applies automatically to municipalities with populations greater than 10,000 and adjacent communities (with some exemptions). In regional districts, electoral areas are exempted from this requirement; however, each individual electoral area may choose to opt in by SRD Board resolution.
- OPT-IN DEADLINE: March 31, 2024
- TO TAKE EFFECT: November 1, 2024
Questions?
Please see SRD’s Questions Posed & Answered by the Ministry of Housing
Electoral Area C: Short-Term Rentals Survey (CLOSED)
Please fill out this 5-minute survey to tell us how YOU would like to see short-term rentals regulated.
Survey closes Friday, March 22, 2024!
Contact
For more info, please contact SRD Planning Services at 250-830-6718 | planning@srd.ca