GovHandbook

Prince George short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

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

Prince George, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Possibly. In Prince George, B.C. limits short-term rentals to your home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling, and you must register with the Province ($100 a year for your home, $450 for a secondary unit). The Zoning Bylaw only provides for bed and breakfasts, which need a City licence.

Key facts

AllowedPrince George is on the Province's list where the principal residence requirement applies: short-term rentals are limited to the host's home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling on the same property. The Zoning Bylaw has no general short-term rental use; it provides for bed & breakfasts as an accessory use of single or two-unit housing.B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Overview; List of communities where the principal residence requirement applies; City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), Definition: Bed & Breakfast · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
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
Powell River Prince George Prince Rupert
Bed & Breakfast: the accessory use of single or two-unit housing in which short- term overnight accommodation and limited meals are provided to overnight guests for consideration.
Business licenceA City business licence is required for a bed & breakfast ($100.71 for 2026, plus the $100 processing fee for a new application). The fee schedule has no category for renting a house or suite short-term; the "Accommodation" category covers buildings with more than two suites or rooms offered for short-term rental.City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.8.3; Comprehensive Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 7557, 2004, Schedule A-2, Schedule A-2, Business Licence; Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040, 2020, s. 4.2 Accommodation · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Bed & breakfasts shall be operated only by the permanent resident(s) of the principal dwelling, who shall hold a business license from the City
Bed and Breakfast Bed and Breakfast $91.35 $95.92 $100.71 $103.73
Processing fee (non-refundable) for all new, relocation, and re-applications $100.00
building or buildings containing more than two (2) suites, two (2) rooms, or one (1) suite and one (1) room, offered for short-term rental.
Provincial registrationYes. Hosts must register with the Province and pay an annual fee: $100 for the host's principal residence, $450 for a secondary unit (suite, cottage, carriage house). Without registration, listings are removed and bookings cancelled.Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia, Registration overview; Failure to register; B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Principal residence requirement and registration fees · 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,
The unit the host lives in is their principal residence. The guests have access to the host's space (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room). Fee: $100 annually This includes:
Any accommodation that is separate from the home where the host lives, sleeps, and eats is considered a secondary unit, even if it is located on the same property or connected by an interior door. Guests stay in their own private space and do not have access to the host's bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. Fee: $450 annually This includes:
Operating rulesBed & breakfasts: run only by the permanent residents of the house, who hold a City licence, with at most 1 non-resident employee on site; not allowed with a secondary suite; 1 parking space per sleeping unit. Compliance with local bylaws is a condition of provincial registration.City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.8.2, s. 5.8.3; Table 7.4; B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Business licence exemptions · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
A bed & breakfast is not permitted in conjunction with an agri-tourist accommodation, community care facility, boarding or lodging house, or secondary suite.
and not more than 1 non-resident employee on site.
Bed & Breakfast 1 per sleeping units
Compliance with local bylaws is a condition of registration.
Fine$300 ($375 if paid late) for operating a business without a valid licence; $200 ($250 late) for a bed & breakfast not in compliance with the Zoning Bylaw.Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 8813, 2016, Schedule B, Schedule B (Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040; Zoning Bylaw No. 7850) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
Operate Business without valid 5.3 $300 $375 Yes
Bed & Breakfast not in compliance 5.8 $200 $250 Yes
BylawCity of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (s. 5.8); City of Prince George Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040, 2020; B.C. Short-Term Rental Accommodations ActCity of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026), s. 5.8; Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040, 2020, s. 1; Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia, Helpful links · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
Official wording
City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 - CONSOLIDATED
This Bylaw may be cited as the "City of Prince George Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040, 2020".
Learn more about B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act

How it works

Prince George is on the Province's list of communities where the principal residence requirement applies. A short-term rental host may rent out only their own home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling on the same property. The Province says this is a minimum and local rules may be stricter.

The City's Zoning Bylaw has no general short-term rental use. It provides for bed and breakfasts as an accessory use of single or two-unit housing. A bed and breakfast is a secondary use in RS1, RS2, RS3, RT and some other zones, but not RS4.

Steps

  1. Ask Development Services (250-561-7611, devserv@princegeorge.ca) whether your zoning allows your kind of rental.
  2. Get a City business licence if you run a bed and breakfast. The 2026 fee is $100.71, plus the $100 processing fee for a new application. The fee schedule has no category for renting a house or suite short-term, so ask the City what applies to you.
  3. Register each unit with the Province and renew yearly: $100 for your principal residence, $450 for a secondary unit (suite, cottage or carriage house). Registration is per unit and applies to stays under 90 consecutive days.
  4. Show your registration on listings. Without registration, listings are removed and bookings cancelled.

Good to know

  • Bed and breakfast rules: run only by the permanent residents of the house, who hold a City licence; at most 1 non-resident employee on site; not allowed with a secondary suite; 1 parking space per sleeping unit.
  • The "Accommodation" licence category covers buildings with more than two suites or rooms offered for short-term rental.
  • A bylaw notice for operating without a valid licence is $300 ($375 if paid late). For a bed and breakfast not in compliance with the Zoning Bylaw it is $200 ($250 late).
  • Licensees must display the business licence where the public can see it.
  • Questions about registration go to Service BC at 1-833-828-2240.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Vanderhoof · Quesnel · Fort St James · Wells · Fraser Lake · Mackenzie

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

Sources

  1. B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement (read 2026-11-05)
  2. Short-term rental registration, Province of British Columbia (read 2026-11-05)
  3. City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007 (consolidated October 5, 2026) (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  4. Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 9040, 2020 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  5. Comprehensive Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 7557, 2004, Schedule A-2 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  6. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 8813, 2016, Schedule B (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
  7. Building Permits (Development Services contact), City of Prince George (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.