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Northern Rockies short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

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

Northern Rockies, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

In Northern Rockies Regional Municipality the Zoning Bylaw has no short-term rental use, but a bed and breakfast is allowed in a single detached or modular dwelling in listed zones. You need a municipal business licence and must register with the Province, which applies to stays under 90 consecutive days.

Key facts

AllowedThe Zoning Bylaw has no short-term rental use. A bed and breakfast is allowed in a single detached or modular dwelling in the RS-1, RS-1A, RS-2, RR-1, RR-2, RM-1, A-1 and A-2 zones (rural bylaw: RR-1, RR-2, RA, A). Northern Rockies is on the Province's exempt list, so the principal residence requirement does not apply.Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026, information copy), s. 2 definition; s. 3.15.1.1; Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Communities with principal residence requirement · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
bedrooms are rented on a daily basis or weekly basis, with a breakfast meal
A Bed and Breakfast is permitted in a Single
A Bed and Breakfast is prohibited in a Duplex, Mobile Dwelling, or any other
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
The principal residence requirement applies across B.C. in municipalities with a population of 10,000 and over and smaller neighbouring communities.
Municipalities with populations under 10,000 and not within 15 km of a larger municipality (listed below)
Business licenceYes. A business licence is required for any business including home occupations. A bed and breakfast ('letting 3 or more rooms') pays $40 a year (Schedule A); $25 flat in Zone 2 of the licence area.Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010, s. 4(a); Schedule A, Section 6(c); s. 31(d); Business Licences, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
No person shall carry on a business, including home occupations and peddlers,
Room House or
Bed and Breakfast
business of letting 3 or more rooms,
The business license fee for those businesses within Zone 2 – is a $25 flat rate.
A valid NRRM business licence is required to conduct business within the Municipality.
Provincial registrationYes. Hosts must register each unit with the Province and display the registration number; provincial registration applies to rentals of fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is needed.Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Registration and business licence exemptions · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Each short-term rental unit requires its own registration number.
Provincial registration requirements apply to short-term rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, regardless of whether a local business licence is required.
Operating rulesBed and breakfast: at most three rental bedrooms and six guests at once; one extra parking space per guest room on the lot; operator must keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and working smoke alarms. Must meet the home-based business rules (s. 3.13).Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026, information copy), s. 3.15.1; Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010, s. 21 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Limited to not more than three (3) rental bedrooms accommodating not more than six
(6) persons at any one time.
one (1) additional Off-Street
Parking space per guest room shall be required for a Bed and Breakfast operation.
Bed and Breakfast Uses shall comply with the regualtions in Section 3.13
Every person carrying on the business of or operating a Bed and Breakfast shall:
Install and maintain in good working order a fire extinguisher.
FineBylaw notice: $200 for doing business without a licence ($180 if paid within 21 days; $220 after 32 days, though the municipality's web page says 35). B&B fire extinguisher or smoke alarm failures: $200 ($180 / $220). No zoning offence is on the notice schedule.Sources differ: Bylaw s. 32(b) also allows a court fine of $100 to $2,000. The municipality's page says bylaw notice amounts drop for payment within 21 days and a surcharge applies later (it says after 35 days; the bylaw's column says 32 days). Zoning Bylaw s. 1.7.1 sets a court fine of $2,000 to $5,000 for zoning offences.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 59, 2011, Schedule A, Schedule A, Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Conducting Business without a 4(a) $200 $180 $220 yes 50%
Failure to Install and/or Maintain 21(a) $200 $180 $220 yes 50%
if more than 32 days after the person received or is presumed to have
BylawBusiness License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010; Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016 (Townsite), s. 3.15; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 59, 2011Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010, Title; Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026, information copy), Title; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 59, 2011, Schedule A, Title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
BUSINESS LICENSE AND REGULATION BYLAW NO. 21, 2010
Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 59, 2011

How it works

The Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016 (Townsite) has no short-term rental use. It does allow a bed and breakfast in a single detached or modular dwelling in the RS-1, RS-1A, RS-2, RR-1, RR-2, RM-1, A-1 and A-2 zones (rural bylaw: RR-1, RR-2, RA and A). The Province's list of exempt municipalities includes Northern Rockies, so the provincial principal residence requirement does not apply here.

Steps

  1. Check your zone with Regional Development and Planning (250-774-2541 option 8).
  2. Get a business licence under the Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010. Any business, including home occupations, needs one. A bed and breakfast pays $40 a year; $25 flat in Zone 2.
  3. Register each unit with the Province and display the registration number. This applies to rentals of fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is needed.

Good to know

  • Bed and breakfast rules: at most three rental bedrooms and six guests at once; one extra parking space per guest room on the lot; a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and working smoke alarms. It must also meet the home-based business rules (zoning bylaw s. 3.13).
  • Bylaw notice fine: $200 for doing business without a licence ($180 if paid within 21 days, $220 after 32 days). The same amounts apply to a bed and breakfast without a kitchen fire extinguisher or smoke alarms. The municipality's page says the surcharge starts at day 35, so confirm the date on your notice.
  • A court fine of $100 to $2,000 is also possible under the licence bylaw.
  • Posting of a licence number and a local contact are not set out. Provincial rules also apply.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Stewart · Hudson's Hope · Hazelton · New Hazelton · Granisle · Mackenzie

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

Sources

  1. Zoning Bylaw No. 119, 2016, Townsite (PDF, consolidated May 2026, information copy) (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Business License and Regulation Bylaw No. 21, 2010 (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  3. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 59, 2011, Schedule A (PDF) (read 2026-11-08)
  4. Business Licences, Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (read 2026-11-08)
  5. Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC (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. How answers are checked.