---
title: Dawson Creek short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)
question: "Can I rent out my home or a room short-term (Airbnb) in Dawson Creek?"
place: Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/dawson-creek
category: Housing and renting
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/short-term-rental/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/short-term-rental.json"
---

# Dawson Creek short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

**Question:** Can I rent out my home or a room short-term (Airbnb) in Dawson Creek?

**Short answer:** Yes. Dawson Creek's Zoning Bylaw allows short-term rentals (under 30 days) in all residential zones, but you need a City business licence ($239.78 per unit or room in 2026) and must register with the Province. Dawson Creek is on the Province's exempt list, so the principal-residence rule does not apply.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** City business licence: $239.78 per unit or room in 2026, plus taxes. Provincial registration: $100 a year for your principal residence and $450 a year for a secondary unit.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Business licences (Development Services), 250-784-3618
- In person: Development Services, temporary offices (City Hall is relocated), Unit 1C, 11000 8 Street, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4K6 (Counter hours are not published on the pages read.)
- Email: Provincial short-term rental registry, STRregistry@sbc.gov.bc.ca

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes. Short-term rentals (under 30 days) are permitted in all residential zones. The City sets no principal-residence rule in the documents read, and the Province lists Dawson Creek as exempt from the provincial principal residence requirement.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 4625, 2026, s. 5.16.1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791)
  - Official wording: "Short-term rentals are permitted in all residential zones."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 4625, 2026, Definition](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791)
  - Official wording: "SHORT TERM RENTAL means the rental of a dwelling unit or portion thereof for periods of less than 30 days."
  - Source: [Provincial principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia, Exempt communities](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Daajing Giids Dawson Creek Enderby"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** Yes, a City business licence is required. Fee 2026: $239.78 per unit or room ($244.58 in 2027), plus taxes. Owners need a licence unless a property management company manages the unit.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 4625, 2026, s. 5.16.2](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791)
  - Official wording: "Short-term rentals are required to hold a City business license."
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 3932 (consolidated), Schedule F, Schedule F, 01-04](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/136171)
  - Official wording: "Short-term rentals (per unit or room) $235.08 $239.78 $244.58 $249.47" … "ALL FEES ARE PLUS APPLICABLE TAXES"
  - Source: [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016, s. 12.3](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
  - Official wording: "All owners of a rental unit are required to obtain a business licence unless the rental unit is managed by a property management company."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Provincial registration:** Yes. Short-term rental hosts must register with the Province and renew yearly, for stays under 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is needed. Provincial fees are $100 a year for your principal residence and $450 a year for a secondary unit.
  - Source: [Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia, Registration](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry)
  - Official wording: "Short-term rental hosts, platforms and strata hotel platforms in B.C. must register and pay annual registration fees." … "you must renew it each year to continue operating."
  - Source: [Provincial principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia, Business licence exemptions](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Provincial registration requirements apply to short-term rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, regardless of whether a local business licence is required." … "Fee: $100 annually" … "Fee: $450 annually"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Operating rules:** At licence application, give a contact who can respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a parking plan for each rented unit or room. List the City licence number on every online listing. Fire safety: posted evacuation plan, smoke alarms, fire extinguisher on each floor, carbon monoxide detector if gas appliances, compliant bedroom windows.
  - Source: [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016, s. 12.4](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
  - Official wording: "Contact information for someone who is able to respond to incidents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and" … "A parking plan showing the location of parking spaces for each rented unit/room"
  - Source: [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016, s. 12.5-12.6](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
  - Official wording: "Operators of short-term rentals or rooming houses are required to meet the following fire safety" … "Operators listing a short-term rental online are required to list the City of Dawson Creek business licence number on every online listing."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notices (Bylaw 4277): no licence $125 ($100 if paid within 14 days, $150 late); failing to list the licence number online $100 ($50 early, $150 late); failing fire safety requirements $200 ($150 early, $300 late). Municipal ticket (Bylaw 4278): fire safety failure $750.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4277, Schedule B](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178)
  - Official wording: "4288 3.1 Fail to obtain and maintain a licence 125 100 150 Yes" … "4288 12.6 Fail to list Business licence number 100 50 150 Yes" … "4288 12.5 Fail to meet Fire Safety requirements 200 150 300 Yes"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw 4278, Schedule, Schedule D](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527)
  - Official wording: "4288 12.5 Fail to meet Fire Safety requirements 750"
  - Source: [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016, s. 23.9](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
  - Official wording: "A person who contravenes any provision of this bylaw is liable to a fine of not more than $10,000.00 and not less than $100.00 for each offence."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 4625, 2026 (s. 5.16); Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw No. 4288, 2016 (s. 12); Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3932, 2007 (Schedule F); provincial Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw 4625, 2026, s. 1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “ZONING BYLAW NO. 4625, 2026"
  - Source: [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016, s. 1.1](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
  - Official wording: "ANNUAL BUSINESS LICENCE & REGULATION BYLAW NO. 4288, 2016"
  - Source: [Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia, Helpful links](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry)
  - Official wording: "Learn more about B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw 4625](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791) (s. 5.16) permits short-term rentals, meaning rentals under 30 days, in all residential zones. A City business licence is required under [Bylaw 4288](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101) (s. 12), unless a property management company manages the unit, and operators must follow provincial rules. The Province lists Dawson Creek as exempt from its principal-residence requirement, so you do not need to live in the unit. Registration with the Province still applies.

## Steps

1. Apply for a City business licence for each rental unit or room. Give a contact who can respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a parking plan for each unit or room.
2. Meet the fire safety rules: a posted evacuation plan, smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher on each floor, a carbon monoxide detector if you have gas appliances, and compliant bedroom windows.
3. Register with the Province's short-term rental registry and renew yearly. This applies to stays under 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is needed.
4. List the City licence number on every online listing.

## Good to know

- A unit offered for both short-term and long-term rental pays the short-term fee.
- Bylaw notices (Bylaw 4277): no licence $125 ($100 if paid within 14 days, $150 late); not listing the licence number online $100 ($50 early, $150 late); failing fire safety requirements $200 ($150 early, $300 late). A municipal ticket (Bylaw 4278) for a fire safety failure is $750.
- The bylaw sets no guest or bedroom limit that we found. Zoning s. 5.16 offences are not itemized in the ticket schedules, and the general zoning ticket is $500 as a bylaw notice or $750 as a municipal ticket.

## Official forms and pages

- [Short-term rental registration (Province)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry)
- [Principal residence requirement and exempt communities (Province)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
- [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101)
- [Zoning Bylaw 4625 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791)

## Related questions

- [Dawson Creek business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/business-licence.md)
- [Dawson Creek home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/home-based-business.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/short-term-rental.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/short-term-rental.md)
- [Taylor](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/taylor/short-term-rental.md)
- [Fort St. John](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/short-term-rental.md)
- [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/short-term-rental.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/short-term-rental.md)
- [Hudson's Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hudsons-hope/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw 4625, 2026 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/143791) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Annual Business Licence & Regulation Bylaw 4288, 2016 (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112101) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 3932 (consolidated), Schedule F (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/136171) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 4277, Schedule B (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112178) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw 4278, Schedule (PDF)](https://dawsoncreek.civicweb.net/document/112527) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Provincial principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/short-term-rental/_