Quesnel short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)
Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Quesnel?
Short answer
In Quesnel you can rent out your home short term only in zones that list it as an accessory use: A-1, RR-1, CR-1, RS-1 and RS-2. It counts as a Major home based business. You need a City business licence number and provincial registration on every listing.
Key facts
| Allowed | Yes, only in zones that list it as an accessory use: A-1, RR-1, CR-1, RS-1 and RS-2. The bylaw treats short-term rentals, including bed and breakfasts, as a Type I (Major) home based business. No local principal-residence rule found; Quesnel is on the Province's exempt list.City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980, ss. 4.18.6, 4.17.4, 10.2; B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia, Exempt municipalities list · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingShort-term rentals, including bed and breakfast uses, are considered to be a Type I (Major) Home Based Business under section 4.17. Type I (Major Home Based Business) are permitted in any zone permitting either a single detached dwelling or a duplex (i) short-term rental. Short-term rentals, including bed and breakfast uses, are considered to be a Port Clements Port Edward Port Hardy Port McNeill Pouce Coupe Princeton Quesnel Revelstoke Radium Hot Springs Rossland Salmo |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Yes. Every listing must show a valid business licence number (Zoning Bylaw s. 4.18.7). The fee schedule charges $75 for a Major home based business plus a $50 administration fee on a new licence, but the schedule does not name short-term rentals; confirm which licence applies with Bylaw Services.City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980, ss. 4.18.7, 4.17.3(h); Comprehensive Fees and Charges Bylaw 1683, Schedule A5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingA valid business licence number is required to be included on all listings advertising short-term rentals Operators of all home based businesses must obtain a business license. Major Home Based not falling under the above criteria $75 An additional non-refundable administration fee of $50.00 will be applied to the initial application. Major Home Based not falling under the above criteria |
| Provincial registration | Yes. Since May 1, 2025 all short-term rental hosts must register with the provincial registry and show the registration number on listings. Fee is $100 a year for your principal residence, $450 for a secondary unit.B.C.'s short-term rental legislation, Province of British Columbia, Registry section; B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of British Columbia, Registration fees · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingAs of May 1, 2025, all short-term rental hosts, platforms, and strata hotel platforms operating in B.C. must be registered with the provincial short-term rental registry. Hosts are required to include a provincial registration number on their listing 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 rules | Bed and breakfast: one principal dwelling per parcel, no more than 2 guest rooms of up to 20 m² each, owner washroom separate from guests. Meals are allowed but not as a restaurant. Parking: 1 space per guest room. Licence number on listings.City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980, ss. 4.18.1 to 4.18.4, 4.18.7, Table 5.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo more than 2 guest rooms are permitted in a bed and breakfast use. No guest room in the bed and breakfast use shall have an area of more than 20 m2 (215 ft2) Bed and breakfast 1 per guest room in addition to spaces required for the principal dwelling unit A valid business licence number is required to be included on all listings |
| Fine | Operating without a business licence: $200 first offence, $500 second within 12 months, $1,000 subsequent. Failing to display a licence has the same amounts.Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1774, consolidated October 18, 2024, Schedule 5 of Bylaw 1774 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingOperating without a Business License First Offence $200 Second Offence (within 12 months) $500 Subsequent Offences (within 12 months) $1,000 |
| Bylaw | City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980 (s. 4.18); Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 1810, 2016 as amended by Bylaw No. 1910, 2021; Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1774.City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980, s. 4.18; Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 1810, 2016, cover; Amendment Bylaw No. 1910, 2021, Bylaw 1910 preamble · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording4.17 Home Based Business ................................................................................................................ 38 4.18 Short-Term Rentals ..................................................................................................................... 41 4.19 Boarding Uses ............................................................................................................................. 42 financial planners and advisors or related business. City of Quesnel | Zoning Bylaw No. 1980 18 FLEET SERVICES means the use of land, building or structure for a fleet of vehicles for the BUSINESS REGULATION AND LICENSING BYLAW NO. 1810, 2016 to improve the clarity of the language and better interpretation. |
How it works
The City of Quesnel's Zoning Bylaw 1980 treats short-term rentals, including bed and breakfasts, as a Type I (Major) home based business. They are allowed only in zones that list them as an accessory use: A-1, RR-1, CR-1, RS-1 and RS-2. Secondary suites, carriage houses and secondary dwellings may also be used for short-term accommodation.
Steps
- Check that your zone allows it (Q-City Maps shows zoning).
- Get a City business licence. Every listing must show a valid business licence number. Ask Bylaw Services (250-992-2111, bylaw@quesnel.ca) which licence applies: the City also has an Accommodation Business Licence for rental properties, which lists bed and breakfasts as a type.
- Register with the provincial registry (required of all hosts since May 1, 2025) and show the registration number on listings.
Good to know
- A bed and breakfast: one principal dwelling per parcel, no more than 2 guest rooms of up to 20 m2 each, and the owner's washroom separate from guests'. Meals are allowed but not as a restaurant. Parking: 1 space per guest room.
- Other short-term rentals have no guest or bedroom cap in the bylaw. Home based business rules still apply: no external storage or display, no extra noise or traffic.
- Quesnel is on the Province's list of municipalities exempt from the provincial principal-residence requirement, and no local principal-residence rule was found in the bylaw.
- Operating without a business licence or failing to display it: a municipal ticket of $200 for a first offence, $500 for a second within 12 months and $1,000 for later ones. No ticket amount for breaking the short-term rental zoning rules is listed; the Zoning Bylaw allows fines up to $10,000 on conviction.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Wells · Williams Lake · Prince George · Vanderhoof · 100 Mile House · Fraser Lake
Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- City of Quesnel Zoning Bylaw No. 1980 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Business Regulation and Licensing Bylaw No. 1810, 2016 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Amendment Bylaw No. 1910, 2021 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Comprehensive Fees and Charges Bylaw 1683, Schedule A5 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1774, consolidated October 18, 2024 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)
- Accommodation Business Licence, City of Quesnel (read 2026-11-05)
- B.C.'s short-term rental legislation, Province of British Columbia (read 2026-11-05)
- 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.