Fernie short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Fernie?

Fernie, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In Fernie a short-term rental needs a City short-term rental licence, and only your principal residence qualifies (plus certain condo/hotel properties), not suites or second homes. The licence is $500 a year for a principal residence. Provincial registration is also required.

Key facts

Allowed	Yes, with a City business licence, but only in your principal residence (a room, an apartment or a house), and in condo/hotel properties in the C-1, C-HWY, CD-2 and R3R zones. Not allowed in secondary suites, garage suites, garden suites or secondary homes.Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, s. 2 'Short-Term Rental'; Sch. C item 1 and 4; Short-Term Rentals; Consolidated Zoning Bylaw No. 1750, s. 2 'Short-Term Rental'; 'Home Occupation' · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording means a business operated by a person in their Principal Residence Short-Term Rentals are not permitted in secondary suites and secondary dwelling units. All Short-Term Rental business licences are valid only for the Principal Residence which 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? the rental of all or a portion of a Dwelling Unit for periods of less than 30 days for valuable consideration in accordance with a valid and subsisting business licensed issued for that use in
Business licence	Yes. No one may offer or advertise a short-term rental without a valid short-term rental licence for that dwelling. Annual fee: $500 (primary residence), $700 (condo/hotel, full ownership), $175 (each quarter share). Online ads must show the licence number.Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, s. 12(1), 12(7); Sch. A; Apply for a new Business Licence, Short-Term Rental Business License · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No person shall offer or advertise for lease, rent or barter any portion of a dwelling unit for Short-Term Rental for valuable consideration unless in possession of a valid and subsisting B. Short-Term Rental-Primary Residence (Annual Fee) $500 C. Short-Term Rental-Condo/Hotel-Full Ownership (Annual Fee) $700 D. Short-Term Rental-Each Quarter Share (Annual Fee) $175 All electronic advertisements for Short-Term Rental must include the licensee’s Applications will only be reviewed once payment is received.
Provincial registration	Yes. Hosts renting for fewer than 90 consecutive days must register with the Province, whether or not a City licence is needed. Fernie is on the Province's exempt list, so the provincial principal residence requirement does not apply here; the City's bylaw still requires a principal residence. ServiceBC: 1-833-828-2240.Short-Term Rentals, Provincial Regulations; Short-term rentals, Province of British Columbia · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 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. The Provincial regulations apply if you rent your property for a period of less than 90 consecutive days. Short-term rental hosts, platforms and strata hotel platforms in B.C. must register and pay annual registration fees. please contact the ServiceBC call centre at 1-833-828-2240
Operating rules	Two parking spaces on the parcel, kept clear of snow; a contact person reachable within 24 hours; one licence per dwelling unit; the licence number in every online ad; one extra on-site staff member in residential zones (two in commercial zones). No permanent cooking facilities in the rental area unless it is the whole dwelling. Licence is not transferable.Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, s. 12(3), 12(5), 12(6), 12(7); Sch. C items 4 and 5; Consolidated Zoning Bylaw No. 1750, Part 5 parking table · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Only one Short-Term Rental business licence may be issued for a dwelling unit. A Short-Term Rental operator shall provide two (2) parking spaces of dimensions specified in the Zoning Bylaw located on the parcel the business licence is issued for. at all times provide to the City the name of a contact person and their current telephone number who is available to respond within 24 hours of ii. In residential zones as specified by Zoning Bylaw No. 1750, one (1) additional Unless it is the entire dwelling, permanent cooking facilities are not permitted in the Short- Short-Term Rental business licences shall not be transferable. short-term rental 2 spaces
Fine	Municipal ticket: $750 for advertising a short-term rental without a licence; $500 for failing to provide two parking stalls; $500 for failing to respond within 24 hours. $750 for carrying on business without a licence.Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 2041, Appendix 3; Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, s. 15(1)(f) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Advertisement of Short-Term Rental without a Licence 12.1 $750.00 Failure to provide two (2) parking stalls 12. (5) i $500.00 Failure to respond within 24 hours 12. (5) iii $500.00 Carrying on business without a Licence 3. (1) $750.00 a fine and penalty of not more than $1,000.00 and not less than $100.00
Bylaw	Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028 (s. 12 and Schedules A and C); Consolidated Zoning Bylaw No. 1750 (short-term rental definition and parking)Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028, Title; Consolidated Zoning Bylaw No. 1750, Title page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Consolidated Bylaw No. 2028, cited as the Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw CONSOLIDATED ZONING BYLAW NO. 1750

How it works

Under the City of Fernie's Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw 2028, no one may offer or advertise a short-term rental (a rental of less than 30 days) without a valid short-term rental licence for that dwelling. A licence is allowed only in your principal residence (a room, an apartment or a house), and in condo/hotel properties in the C-1, C-HWY, CD-2 and R3R zones. It is not allowed in secondary suites, garage suites, garden suites or secondary homes. The licence ends if the home stops being your principal residence.

Steps

Check that the home is your principal residence, or a listed condo/hotel property.
Complete the application and the Self-Inspection Checklist, and gather proof of principal residence, a site plan and a floor plan.
Submit in person at City Hall or by email to corporateservices@fernie.ca, and pay the fee. The City reviews applications only once payment is received.
Register with the Province if you rent for fewer than 90 consecutive days. Service BC: 1-833-828-2240.

Good to know

Rules: two parking spaces on the parcel, kept clear of snow; a contact person reachable within 24 hours; one licence per dwelling unit; the licence number in every online ad. No permanent cooking facilities in the rental area unless it is the whole dwelling. The licence is not transferable.
Staff: one extra on-site staff member is allowed in residential zones (two in commercial zones).
Province: Fernie is on the Province's exempt list, so the provincial principal-residence rule does not apply here. The City's bylaw still requires a principal residence. The Province also requires PST and tourism tax on stays of 26 days or less.
Fines: a municipal ticket is $750 for advertising a short-term rental without a licence, $500 for not providing two parking stalls, and $500 for not responding within 24 hours.
No limit on guests or bedrooms was found in the bylaws.

What you'll need

Completed short-term rental application
Completed Self-Inspection Checklist
Proof of principal residence
Site plan
Floor plan

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Cranbrook · Elkford · Kimberley · Canal Flats · Creston · Invermere

Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 2028 (PDF), City of Fernie (read 2026-11-05)
Short-Term Rentals, City of Fernie (read 2026-11-05)
Apply for a new Business Licence, City of Fernie (read 2026-11-05)
Consolidated Zoning Bylaw No. 1750 (PDF), City of Fernie (read 2026-11-05)
Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw 2041 (PDF), City of Fernie (read 2026-11-05)
Short-term rentals, Province of British Columbia (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. How answers are checked.