GovHandbook

Kent short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

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

Kent, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

Yes, in the District of Kent with a business licence. You may rent your principal residence for 28 days or less. The licence is $125 a year for a Guest Unit or $500 for a Principal Residence. You must also register with the Province.

Key facts

AllowedYes, with a business licence. A home owner or principal resident may rent their principal residence for 28 days or less. Two classes: Guest Unit (principal resident must be on site) and Principal Residence. Permitted zones: A, A1, RR1, RR2, RR3, RL, MR and CD2. The Province's principal residence requirement also applies to Kent.Short Term Rentals, intro; Short Term Rentals, Permitted Zones; Short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of BC, List of communities with principal residence requirement · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
a home owner or principal resident may rent their principal residence for 28 days or less
Guest Unit and Principal Residence short term rental uses are permitted in the zones listed below.
Communities with principal residence requirement
Kent
Business licenceYes. Annual business licence: Guest Unit $125; Principal Residence $500 (Non-Principal $700 in the fees bylaw). Fees are paid when the application is filed, then yearly.Short Term Rentals, Licence Fees; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1717, 2023 (PDF, consolidated), Sch. B, Short-term Commercial Accommodation · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Guest Unit $125
Principal Residence $500
Fees must be paid at the time the application is filed, then annually as per
Year Guest Unit $125 $112.50 $137.50 Principal $500 $450 $550 Non-Principal $700 $630 $770 Retail Cannabis Sales Column A Column B Column C
Provincial registrationYes. Hosts must also register with the Province's Short-term Rental Registry and pay annual registration fees.Short Term Rentals, To get a licence · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Register your short term rental business and pay annual registration fees with the Province through their Short-term Rental Registration.
Operating rulesGuest Unit: principal resident on site, rooms rented one fewer than bedrooms (max 4), max 6 guests. Principal Residence: up to 5 bedrooms, max 10 guests, 24-hour contact and responsible person within 2 hours. Both: 1 parking space per room rented (max 4), licence displayed, licence number in all marketing, one sign.Short Term Rentals, Regulation Summary; Short Term Rentals, Eligibility Requirements; Zoning Bylaw No. 1219, 2001 (PDF, consolidated October 6, 2025), s. 7.13.1(e); Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 1747, 2025, s. 3.13(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Maximum number of occupants
1 space per room rented to a maximum of 4 spaces
Display 24 hour contact phone number
available 24 hours a day to respond to guest or any nuisance complaint within two hours of notification.
have no more than one (1) sign as prescribed in the Sign Bylaw.
ensure all market materials includes the District of Kent business licence number;
FineThe District's Short Term Rentals page and guide say operators may face fines of up to $500 per day, per offence. No ticket schedule was found; Business Licencing Bylaw 1747 s. 20.4 allows court fines up to $10,000 per offence.Short Term Rentals, Compliance · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Operators may face fines of up to $500 per day, per offence.
Operate or market a short term rental without a valid business licence
BylawBusiness Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 1747, 2025 (s. 3.13) and Zoning Bylaw No. 1219, 2001 (s. 7.13)Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 1747, 2025, s. 1.1; Zoning Bylaw No. 1219, 2001 (PDF, consolidated October 6, 2025), s. 7.13 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Business Licencing and Regulation
1726, 2023 • private schools • wineries, breweries, and distilleries 1730, 2024  7.13 Short-term Rentals .1 All short-term rental uses shall: (a) comply with the licencing requirements of the Business Licencing and Regulation
Zoning Bylaw No. 1219, 2001 February 2002

How it works

A home owner or principal resident may rent their principal residence for 28 days or less, with a business licence under Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 1747 (section 3.13). There are two classes: Guest Unit (the principal resident must be on site) and Principal Residence. Short-term rental is permitted in the A, A1, RR1, RR2, RR3, RL, MR and CD2 zones. It is not permitted inside an accessory dwelling unit on ALR land. Kent is on the Province's list of communities where the principal residence requirement applies.

Annual licence fees, set in the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1717: Guest Unit $125, Principal Residence $500 (Non-Principal $700 in the fees bylaw). Fees are paid when you file, then yearly.

Steps

  1. Check that your zone permits short-term rental (see the zoning-lookup answer).
  2. Apply for the business licence from the Licence Inspector, 604-796-2235. See the District's Short Term Rentals page.
  3. Register with the Province's Short-term Rental Registry and pay the annual registration fee.

Good to know

  • Guest Unit: principal resident on site, rooms rented one fewer than bedrooms (maximum 4), at most 6 guests.
  • Principal Residence: up to 5 bedrooms, at most 10 guests, a 24-hour contact and a responsible person within 2 hours.
  • Both: 1 parking space per room rented (maximum 4), licence displayed, licence number in all marketing, and one sign.
  • The District's web page says operators may face fines of up to $500 per day, per offence. Kent posts no ticket schedule; the business licence bylaw allows court fines up to $10,000 per offence.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Harrison Hot Springs · Chilliwack · Hope · Abbotsford · Mission · Maple Ridge

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

Sources

  1. Short Term Rentals, District of Kent (read 2026-11-06)
  2. Business Licencing and Regulation Bylaw No. 1747, 2025 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
  3. Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1717, 2023 (PDF, consolidated) (read 2026-11-06)
  4. Zoning Bylaw No. 1219, 2001 (PDF, consolidated October 6, 2025) (read 2026-11-06)
  5. Short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of BC (read 2026-11-06)

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.