---
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?"
place: Fort St James, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-james
category: Housing and renting
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental.json"
---

# 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?

**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.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**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:**
- In person: District Office, 477 Stuart Drive West, P.O. Box 640, Fort St. James, BC V0J 1P0
- Phone: District Office, 250-996-8233
- Email: District Office, district@fortstjames.ca

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, s. 2.14; s. 3.2; C2 and C3 permitted uses](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Business licence:** 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.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018, s. 3.2; Schedule A](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Provincial registration:** 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.
  - Source: [Principal residence requirement, Short-Term Rentals, Province of BC, List of exempt communities](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Operating rules:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, s. 3.2 a; s. 9.4](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** $100 for carrying on business without a valid business licence; $50 for failing to post the licence.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018, Schedule B](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Carry on business without valid and" … "$100.00" … "Fail to post licence" … "$50.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (s. 3.2) and Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025, s. 3.2](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf)
  - Official wording: "3.2 Bed and breakfasts"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018, Title](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf)
  - Official wording: "DISTRICT OF FORT ST. JAMES BUSINESS LICENCE BYLAW NO. 1000, 2018 The Council of the District of Fort St. James enacts as follows:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

[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.

A 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.

## Steps

1. Call the District office (250-996-8233) to ask whether your plan fits the zoning for your lot.
2. Apply for a District business licence.
3. 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.

## Good to know

- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- No separate short-term rental rules (such as posting a licence number or naming a local contact) were found.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf)
- [Principal residence requirement, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)

## Related questions

- [Fort St James business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/business-licence.md)
- [Fort St James home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/home-based-business.md)
- [Fort St James secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/secondary-suite.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/short-term-rental.md)
- [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/short-term-rental.md)
- [Fraser Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/short-term-rental.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/short-term-rental.md)
- [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/short-term-rental.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/short-term-rental.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2026-03/1101%20Zoning%20Bylaw%20-%20Signed.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 1000, 2018 (PDF), District of Fort St James](https://www.fortstjames.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/1000%20Business%20Licence%20Bylaw%202018.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Principal residence requirement, Short-Term Rentals, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement) (read 2026-11-08)

_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/fort-st-james/short-term-rental/_