GovHandbook

Port Alberni short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

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

Port Alberni, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Only in limited cases. In Port Alberni a short-term rental is allowed as a bed and breakfast in a single detached dwelling lived in by its permanent residents (up to 2 bedrooms), in a legal secondary suite in the R or RR zones, or as a guest house in the C9 zone. A City licence and provincial registration are required.

Key facts

AllowedOnly in a single detached dwelling lived in by its permanent residents (B&B, up to 2 bedrooms), in a legal secondary suite in the R or RR zones, or as a guest house in the C9 zone (up to 8 sleeping units). Provincial rules also apply.Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast page; Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024, s. 6.14; Short Term Rental FAQ, Short Term Rental FAQ, page 2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Zoning Bylaw 5105 only allows Short Term Rental (STR) within a permanent resident occupied single-detached dwelling or guest house
Short-term rentals are currently permitted in Port Alberni within a single-detached home, legal secondary suite, or a guest house operation.
Up to two bedrooms may be used as a short-term rental.
Bed and breakfast operations shall have a maximum of two (2) bedrooms
A single-detached home with a legal secondary suite (R or RR
A guest house operation (C9 zoning).
Business licenceYes. A City Bed & Breakfast Business Licence is required. Schedule A has no separate B&B fee; the general Service category is $132 a year.Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast page; Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 4951, 2017 (PDF, consolidated), Schedule A · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Short-term rental owners must obtain a City of Port Alberni Bed & Breakfast Business Licence.
CATEGORY: 1. Service FEE: $132.00
All businesses except those identified in Categories 2-7 of this schedule.
Provincial registrationYes. Short-term rental hosts must register with the Province and pay annual fees; unregistered listings are removed. Port Alberni is on the Province's list of communities where the principal residence requirement applies.Short-term rentals, Province of British Columbia, BC short-term rentals page; Short-term rental registration - Province of British Columbia, Failure to register; B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia, List of communities · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Short-term rental hosts, platforms and strata hotel platforms in B.C. must register and pay annual registration fees.
Your listings will no longer be advertised,
Port Alberni Port Coquitlam Port Moody
Operating rulesRun by the permanent residents of a single detached dwelling; at most 2 bedrooms with no more than 2 guests per room; breakfast only; one off-street space per bedroom used plus the house's own space. The business licence must be posted. Building and Fire departments inspect first.Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024, s. 6.14; Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 4951, 2017 (PDF, consolidated), s. 7.5; Bed and Breakfast, Bed and Breakfast page; Short Term Rental FAQ, Short Term Rental FAQ, page 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
The operation must be conducted by permanent residents of the dwelling.
with not more than two (2) guests per room.
Breakfast shall be the only meal permitted to be served to guests.
One (1) off-street parking space for each bedroom used for the operation must be provided.
shall post and maintain in a conspicuous place on the business premises
The Building and Fire departments will perform a site visit/inspection of the property
One (1) off-street parking space for each bedroom used by the business must be provided plus 1 for each unit in the SFD.
FineOperating without a business licence: bylaw notice $200 ($150 if paid early, $250 late). Using land against the Zoning Bylaw permitted uses: $200 ($150 early, $250 late). No fine specific to short-term rentals was found.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025, Schedule A-6, s. 3.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
3.1 Carry on a business without a licence $200.00 $150.00 $250.00
3.1 Carry on a business without a licence $200.00 $150.00 $250.00
3.5 Contravene Uses Permitted $200.00 $150.00 $250.00
BylawZoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (s. 6.14 Bed and Breakfast and Guest House Operations); Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 4951, 2017; and the Province's Short-Term Rental Accommodations ActZoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024, s. 6.14; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025, Schedule A-6; Short-term rentals, Province of British Columbia, BC page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
6.14 Bed and Breakfast and Guest House Operations
Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 4951, 2017
Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act

How it works

Port Alberni's Zoning Bylaw 5105 (s. 6.14) allows short-term rental only:

  • as a bed and breakfast in a single detached dwelling lived in by its permanent residents (up to 2 bedrooms),
  • in a legal secondary suite in the R or RR zones, or
  • as a guest house in the C9 zone (up to 8 sleeping units).

Unauthorized suites may not be used. Provincial rules also apply: hosts must register with the Province and pay annual fees, and unregistered listings are removed. Port Alberni is on the Province's list of communities where the principal residence requirement applies, which limits rentals to your usual home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property.

Steps

  1. Confirm your zone and the rules with Development Services (250-720-2835).
  2. Building and Fire departments inspect first.
  3. Apply for a City Bed & Breakfast Business Licence at bus_licence@portalberni.ca. Post the licence.
  4. Register with the Province before you list.

Good to know

  • B&B rules: at most 2 bedrooms with no more than 2 guests per room; breakfast only; one off-street space per bedroom used plus the house's own space. Guest house rules differ: up to 8 sleeping units and 16 guests.
  • The $132 a year is the general Service category; no official page lists a separate B&B fee.
  • Operating without a business licence: a bylaw notice is $200 ($150 if paid early, $250 late). Using land against the Zoning Bylaw is the same amount. The business licence bylaw also sets a court fine of $1,000 to $10,000.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Qualicum Beach · Parksville · Cumberland · Comox · Courtenay · Lantzville

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

Sources

  1. Bed and Breakfast, City of Port Alberni (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Short Term Rental FAQ (PDF), City of Port Alberni (read 2026-11-05)
  3. Zoning Bylaw No. 5105, 2024 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Business Licence Regulation Bylaw No. 4951, 2017 (PDF, consolidated) (read 2026-11-05)
  5. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 5128, 2025 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  6. Short-term rentals, Province of British Columbia (read 2026-11-05)
  7. Short-term rental registration - Province of British Columbia (read 2026-11-05)
  8. B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia (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. How answers are checked.