{"title":"Fort St James short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)","question":"Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Fort St James?","slug":"short-term-rental","place":{"path":"ca/bc/fort-st-james","name":"Fort St James","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"housing-and-renting","name":"Housing and renting"},"owner":"shared","owner_label":"More than one level of government","owner_body":null,"short_answer":"Fort St James's Zoning Bylaw has no short-term rental use. Bed and breakfasts are allowed in a single detached dwelling in R1, R2, RR1, RR1A, RR2 and RR3 zones, and tourist accommodation in C2 and C3. You need a District business licence and must register with the Province's registry.","aliases":["airbnb fort st james","short term rental fort st james","bed and breakfast fort st james","vacation rental fort st james"],"cost":"No short-term rental licence class. Hotels and motels pay $10 per room (minimum $60) a year; retail and any business not named is $100 to $300.","how_long":"Not stated.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"District Office","value":"477 Stuart Drive West, P.O. Box 640, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0"},{"type":"phone","label":"District Office","value":"250-996-8233"},{"type":"email","label":"District Office","value":"district@fortstjames.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf"},{"title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF)","url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf"},{"title":"Principal residence requirement, Province of BC","url":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement"}],"related":[{"slug":"business-licence","title":"Fort St James business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/business-licence/"},{"slug":"home-based-business","title":"Fort St James home-based business rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/home-based-business/"},{"slug":"secondary-suite","title":"Fort St James secondary suite and carriage house rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/secondary-suite/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/short-term-rental/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fraser-lake","name":"Fraser Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/short-term-rental/"},{"place":"ca/bc/burns-lake","name":"Burns Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/short-term-rental/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-george","name":"Prince George","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/short-term-rental/"},{"place":"ca/bc/mackenzie","name":"Mackenzie","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/short-term-rental/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/short-term-rental/"}],"topic":{"title":"Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/short-term-rental/"},"facts":{"allowed":{"label":"Allowed","value":"The Zoning Bylaw has no short-term rental use. Bed and breakfasts are allowed in a single detached dwelling in R1, R2, RR1, RR1A, RR2 and RR3 zones; tourist accommodation is a permitted use in the C2 and C3 commercial zones.","short":"No STR use; B&B allowed in some zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 2.14; s. 3.2; C2 and C3 permitted uses","quotes":["the accessory use of a single detached","dwelling for the commercial provision of temporary accommodation of visitors.","The principal use of the dwelling shall be a single detached dwelling.","Tourist accommodation."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"licence":{"label":"Business licence","value":"A business licence is required to carry on any business in the District (Business Licence Bylaw s. 3.2). The fee schedule has no short-term rental or bed and breakfast class; hotels and motels pay $10 per room (minimum $60) a year.","short":"Yes; no STR fee class","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 3.2; Schedule A","quotes":["no person shall carry on any business within the District unless","Apartment Building, Hotel or Motel (3 or more units or","Per unit, room or pad","$10.00","Minimum Licence fee"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"provincial_registration":{"label":"Provincial registration","value":"Fort St. James is on the Province's list of municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement. Hosts must still register with the Province's Short-Term Rental Registry for stays under 90 consecutive days.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement","title":"Principal residence requirement, Short-Term Rentals, Province of BC","section":"List of exempt communities","quotes":["Municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement","Fort St. James","Provincial registration requirements apply to short-term rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days","must register with the Short-Term Rental Registry, but are exempt from the principal residence requirement"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"rules":{"label":"Operating rules","value":"For a bed and breakfast: the operator must live in the dwelling, with at most three bedrooms and six guests; no outside changes that show it is a B&B, apart from a sign up to 1 m²; parking of 1 space per room available.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 3.2 a; s. 9.4","quotes":["The dwelling shall be occupied by the operator of the bed and breakfast","No more than three bedrooms to accommodate a maximum of six bed and","a sign not exceeding 1 square metre may be permitted on the lot.","Bed and Breakfast                                  • 1 per room available"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"$100 for carrying on business without a valid business licence; $50 for failing to post the licence.","short":"$100 for no business licence","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"Schedule B","quotes":["Carry on business without valid and","$100.00","Fail to post licence","$50.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (s. 3.2) and Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"s. 3.2","quotes":["3.2    Bed and breakfasts"]},{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF), District of Fort St James","section":"Title","quotes":["DISTRICT OF FORT ST. JAMES BUSINESS LICENCE BYLAW NO. 1000, 2018 The Council of the District of Fort St. James enacts as follows:"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":6,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Zoning Bylaw No. 1101](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) has no short-term rental use. It allows bed and breakfasts in a single detached dwelling in R1, R2, RR1, RR1A, RR2 and RR3 zones, and tourist accommodation as a permitted use in the C2 and C3 commercial zones. Whether renting a whole house counts as a bed and breakfast or something else is not stated, so ask the District office.\n\nA business licence is required to carry on any business in the District ([Business Licence Bylaw](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf), s. 3.2). Its fee schedule has no short-term rental or bed and breakfast class, and which class applies is not stated.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Call the District office (250-996-8233) to ask whether your plan fits the zoning for your lot.\n2. Apply for a District business licence.\n3. Register with the Province's Short-Term Rental Registry for stays under 90 consecutive days. Fort St James is on the Province's list of municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- For a bed and breakfast: the operator must live in the dwelling, with at most three bedrooms and six guests; no outside changes that show it is a B&B, apart from a sign up to 1 m²; parking of 1 space per room available.\n- Hotels and motels pay $10 per room (minimum $60) a year. Retail and \"any business not specifically mentioned\" is $100 (0 to 200 m²) to $300.\n- The Business Licence Bylaw's ticket for carrying on business without a valid licence is $100, and $50 for failing to post the licence. A different bylaw notice amount may exist.\n- No separate short-term rental rules (such as posting a licence number or naming a local contact) were found.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf","title":"Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF), District of Fort St James","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement","title":"Principal residence requirement, Short-Term Rentals, Province of BC","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 6 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental.json"}}