---
title: Gold River short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)
question: "Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Gold River?"
place: Gold River, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/gold-river
category: Housing and renting
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/short-term-rental/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/short-term-rental.json"
---

# Gold River short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

**Question:** Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Gold River?

**Short answer:** Gold River's Zoning Bylaw does not use the term short-term rental. It permits bed and breakfast accommodation in the R-L, R-R, M.H.S. and CD1 zones, and tourist accommodation in the C-2 zone. You need a Village business licence, and the Province's short-term rental registry applies.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** A business licence is $75 a year (all other business). No STR-specific fee is stated.  
**How long:** Not stated.  
**Where:**
- In person: Municipal Hall, 499 Muchalat Drive, Gold River, BC V0P 1G0 (Office hours are not stated on the Village's website.)
- Phone: Village Hall, 250-283-2202

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** The Zoning Bylaw does not use the term short-term rental. It permits bed and breakfast accommodation in the R-L, R-R, M.H.S. and CD1 zones, and tourist accommodations in the C-2 zone. A B&B must be within a single-family dwelling that is the operator's permanent residence, with no more than two bedrooms for guests and no more than one employee.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.9.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "be completely contained within a single-family dwelling which is the" … "occupied as a permanent residence by" … "not involve the use of more than two (2) bedrooms at any one time for"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 6.1.3](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "6.1.3 – Bed and breakfast accommodation"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 15.1.4](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "15.1.3 - trailer and boat sales, which are limited to showroom and screened open air sales areas 15.1.4 - tourist accommodations 15.1.5 - drive-in restaurants 15.1.6 - bus depot"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Business licence:** Yes, a business licence is required for any business, including a B&B (the Zoning Bylaw says B&B operations are regulated by the Business Licence Bylaw). The annual fee for 'all other business' is $75.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 3.a](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person following, practicing, carrying on, maintaining, or owning within the" … "Village, any business, shall take out and maintain a licence"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 734, 2021, Schedule G](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-734-2021-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "and Research Facility Retail/wholesale cannabis or cannabis products $2,000 Special Event $150/day All other business $75"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Definitions](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "bed and" … "breakfast operations are regulated by the Village" … "of Gold River Business Licence Bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Provincial registration:** Gold River is on the Province's list of exempt communities, so the provincial principal residence requirement does not apply. Hosts still register with the Province's registry for rentals under 90 consecutive days, and compliance with local bylaws is a condition of registration.
  - Source: [Principal residence requirement, Province of BC, List of exempt communities](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Communities exempt from the provincial principal residence requirement:" … "Gold River"
  - Source: [Principal residence requirement, Province of BC, 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" … "Compliance with local bylaws is a condition of registration."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Operating rules:** B&B rules: whole B&B inside the operator's single-family home, which is their permanent residence; run by the principal resident with at most one employee on the premises; no more than two bedrooms for guests at a time. A home-based business that offers accommodation may have an occupant load of up to 12 persons including family, with at most 6 non-family guests.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.9.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "be conducted by the principal resident who may employ not more than" … "one (1) person on the premise." … "not involve the use of more than two (2) bedrooms at any one time for"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, s. 7.m](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The occupant load for accommodation shall be a maximum of 12" … "persons in total including family members with a maximum of 6" … "persons being non-family members."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. The ticket amount could not be read because the ticket schedules are scanned PDFs.
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.9 (Bed and Breakfast Uses); Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.9](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "4.9 BED AND BREAKFAST USES"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021, Title](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) does not use the term short-term rental. It permits bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation in the R-L, R-R, M.H.S. and CD1 zones, and tourist accommodation in the C-2 zone. A B&B must be inside a single-family dwelling that is the operator's permanent residence, run by the principal resident with at most one employee, with no more than two guest bedrooms.

A home-based business that offers accommodation may have an occupant load of up to 12 persons including family, with at most 6 non-family guests ([Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf), s. 7). The two sets of limits differ, so check with the Village which applies to you.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone allows a B&B or tourist accommodation (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Get a Village business licence; the Zoning Bylaw says B&B operations are regulated by the Business Licence Bylaw.
3. Register with the Province's short-term rental registry for stays under 90 consecutive days.

## Good to know

- Gold River is on the Province's list of exempt communities, so the provincial principal residence requirement does not apply. Hosts still register, and following local bylaws is a condition of registration.
- A business licence is required for any business, including a B&B. The fee for "all other business" is $75 a year; no STR-specific class was found.
- On conviction, the Business Licence Bylaw allows a fine up to $10,000. A ticket amount could not be read, because the ticket schedules are scanned PDFs.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Principal residence requirement, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)

## Related questions

- [Gold River business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/business-licence.md)
- [Gold River home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/home-based-business.md)
- [Gold River secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/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)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/short-term-rental.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/short-term-rental.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/short-term-rental.md)
- [Sayward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sayward/short-term-rental.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/short-term-rental.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 735, 2021 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-735-2021-Business-Licence-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 734, 2021 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Bylaw-No-734-2021-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Principal residence requirement, 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 5 of 6 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. 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/gold-river/short-term-rental/_