---
title: North Saanich short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)
question: "Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in North Saanich?"
place: North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/north-saanich
category: Housing and renting
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/short-term-rental/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/short-term-rental.json"
---

# North Saanich short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

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

**Short answer:** North Saanich has no short-term rental bylaw. Its zoning allows only listed uses and excludes temporary accommodation (under 30 days) from single family residential, so short stays in practice mean a resident-run bed and breakfast. The Province's principal residence rule applies here.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** A District business licence for a Home Based Business (including Bed and Breakfast) is $50 a year. Provincial registration is $100 a year for your principal residence, $450 for a secondary unit.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Email: District Planning, planning@northsaanich.ca
- Phone: Planning and Community Services, 250-655-5470
- Phone: ServiceBC short-term rental line, 1-833-828-2240
- Email: BC short-term rental registry, STRregistry@sbc.gov.bc.ca

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** No local short-term rental bylaw found. Zoning allows only listed uses and excludes 'temporary accommodation' (under 30 days) from single family residential, so short stays are limited to a bed and breakfast home occupation (host lives there). The Province's principal residence requirement applies in North Saanich (list as of June 1, 2026).
  - Source: [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 102 'temporary accommodation', 'single family residential'](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "“temporary accommodation” means the non-residential, commercial or quasi-commercial" … "use of sleeping accommodations for less than thirty (30) consecutive days;" … "but specifically excludes temporary accommodation;" … "No land, building or structure may be used for a use that is not specifically listed under" … "The use must be solely operated by a person resident in the dwelling unit and"
  - Source: [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 107.1](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No land, building or structure may be used for a use that is not specifically listed under" … "the heading “Permitted Uses” in the zone"
  - Source: [BC short-term rental principal residence requirement, List of communities where the principal residence requirement applies](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Communities with principal residence requirement" … "North Cowichan North Saanich North Vancouver (City)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Business licence:** A business licence is required for any business in the District. The fee schedule has no short-term rental category; 'Home Based Business including Bed and Breakfast' is $50 a year.
  - Source: [Business Bylaw No. 1349, s. 4](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/1349-Business-License-Bylaw-CONSOLIDATED.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Every person owning or operating any business carried on within the Municipality" … "shall hold a valid and subsisting business license"
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1471, Business Licence Fees (BL 1515)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1471-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-2018.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Home Based Business including Bed and $50.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Provincial registration:** Yes. Provincial registration applies to rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is required. Fee: $100 a year for the host's principal residence, $450 for a secondary unit.
  - Source: [BC short-term rental principal residence requirement, Business licence exemptions; fees](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" … "Fee: $100 annually" … "Fee: $450 annually"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Operating rules:** Bed and breakfast home occupation: up to two bedrooms without cooking facilities, maximum four guests per lot per visit, plus 1 parking space per bedroom. Provincially, hosts are limited to their principal residence plus one suite or accessory unit. No local rule on posting a licence number or local contact was found.
  - Source: [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 203.2](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "a bed and breakfast may only use up to two" … "bedrooms (without cooking facilities) for a maximum of four persons per lot/per visit."
  - Source: [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), s. 306 parking table](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "plus Bed & Breakfast" … "plus 1 space per bedroom used for Bed & Breakfast"
  - Source: [BC short-term rental principal residence requirement, Overview](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "The usual place where they make their home day-to-day home" … "Plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** No short-term-rental offence is listed. Tickets (October 2022 schedule; 2026 amendments could not be read): no business licence $500 ($350 if paid within 30 days); unlawful home occupation $130 ($100); use not permitted under the Zoning Bylaw $500 ($350).
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544, Schedule 6](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw-No.-1544.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No business license" … "$500.00" … "$350.00" … "No business license 4 $500.00 $350.00" … "Use not permitted 107 $500.00 $350.00" … "Unlawful home occupation 203 $130.00 $100.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544, Schedule 10](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw-No.-1544.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Section within 30 Number days Use not permitted 107 $500.00 $350.00 Unlawful home occupation 203 $130.00 $100.00 Secondary Suite not permitted use 206.1.1(a) $650.00 $500.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255; Business Bylaw No. 1349 (2013); no short-term-rental bylaw found
  - Source: [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023), Title](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)
  - Official wording: "DISTRICT OF NORTH SAANICH ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT BYLAW NO. 1255"
  - Source: [Business Bylaw No. 1349, s. 1](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/1349-Business-License-Bylaw-CONSOLIDATED.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “District of North Saanich Business Bylaw" … "No. 1349 (2013).”"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The District of North Saanich has no local short-term rental bylaw. [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf) allows only the uses it lists, and it excludes "temporary accommodation" (stays under 30 days) from single family residential. In practice, short stays are limited to a bed and breakfast home occupation, where the host lives in the home. Temporary accommodation is allowed in the P-3 zone only.

The Province's principal residence requirement applies in North Saanich. Provincially, a host may rent their usual home plus one secondary suite or accessory unit.

## Steps

1. Ask Planning (planning@northsaanich.ca or 250-655-5470) what is allowed on your property today.
2. For a bed and breakfast: use up to two bedrooms without cooking facilities, for a maximum of four guests per lot per visit, and provide 1 parking space per bedroom.
3. Get a District business licence. The fee schedule has no short-term rental category; "Home Based Business including Bed and Breakfast" is $50 a year.
4. Register with the Province. Registration applies to rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is required.

## Good to know

- The District's pages do not say whether a short-term rental counts as the home-based category. Ask Planning.
- No local rule on posting a licence number or local contact was found.
- No short-term rental offence is listed. Tickets (2022 schedule; amounts may have changed): no business licence $500 ($350 if paid within 30 days); unlawful home occupation $130 ($100); use not permitted under the Zoning Bylaw $500 ($350).
- Provincial law may override local zoning in ways this page does not cover.
- The District's Official Community Plan says a short-term rental policy is coming. Check with Planning for the current status.

## Official forms and pages

- [BC short-term rentals](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals)
- [Principal residence requirement, BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
- [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf)

## Related questions

- [North Saanich secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/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)
- [Sidney](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/short-term-rental.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/short-term-rental.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/short-term-rental.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/short-term-rental.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/short-term-rental.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning and Development Bylaw No. 1255 (PDF, consolidated February 2023)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1255-District-of-North-Saanich-Zoning-Bylaw-No.-1255-Consolidated-2023.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [BC short-term rental principal residence requirement](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Business Bylaw No. 1349 (PDF)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/1349-Business-License-Bylaw-CONSOLIDATED.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 1471 (PDF)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/wp-content/uploads/1471-Fees-and-Charges-Bylaw-2018.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1544 (PDF)](https://www.northsaanich.ca/sites/default/files/2026-06/Municipal-Ticket-Information-Bylaw-No.-1544.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Property Information, District of North Saanich](https://www.northsaanich.ca/lands-planning/building-or-renovating/property-information) (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. 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/north-saanich/short-term-rental/_