Salt Spring Island home-based business rules
Can I run a business from my home on Salt Spring?
Short answer
Yes, within limits. On Salt Spring Island, the Islands Trust Land Use Bylaw 355 allows a home-based business as an accessory use if you live on the lot, work indoors, stay within the size and staff limits, and the work is on the bylaw's list. Check that your zone allows it.
Key facts
| Allowed | Allowed as an accessory use to a home, indoors in the dwelling, seasonal cottage or an enclosed accessory building (pottery kilns excepted), only for occupations on the bylaw's list. The zone tables list it as an accessory use in residential, rural, forestry and agricultural zones; check your zone. The operator must live on the premises.Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.1; Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.6; Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingHome-based businesses are accessory to residential use of a lot and must be carried out indoors within a permitted dwelling unit, seasonal cottage or other Home-based business use subject to Section 3.13 Only the following occupations may be conducted as a home-based business: A home-based business must be operated by a person permanently residing on |
|---|---|
| Business licence | Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. |
| Limits | Floor area up to 50% of the dwelling and accessory buildings, max 70 m² (lots 1.2 ha or less) or 150 m² (larger). Max 3 non-resident employees (4 on larger lots). No exterior sign of the business except signs the bylaw permits. Parking on the lot, screened, 3 m from side lines, 7.6 m from front and rear. Noise under 40 dB beyond the lot.Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.2; Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.4; Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.5(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingThe total floor area used for home-based business use on any lot must not maximum of 70 square metres for lots that are 1.2 ha or less in area and 150 square three additional persons (or full-time equivalency) not residing in the dwelling There must be no exterior indication of the existence of the home-based with the exception of signs permitted by There must be no exterior indication of the existence of the home-based located at least 3 m from any side No home-based business may create noise that exceeds 40 dB beyond |
| Businesses not allowed | Anything not on the s. 3.13.6 list. The list excludes auto body repair; automobile repair only on lots over 2 ha (one bay, max 25 m², screened). Boarding houses are barred in Agriculture 2, Rural Watershed 1 and 2, Rural Islet and Forestry 2 zones.Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingOnly the following occupations may be conducted as a home-based business: Repair of automobiles, excluding auto body repair and provided such repair takes place on a property greater than 2 ha in area Boarding houses, except that this use is not permitted in the Agriculture |
| Bylaw | Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (1999), s. 3.13 Home-Based Businesses (Islands Trust).Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 3.13; Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13, s. 2.1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wording3.12 ACCESSORY BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES ........................................................................... 31 3.13 HOME-BASED BUSINESSES .................................................................................................... 32 3.14 SEASONAL COTTAGES............................................................................................................ 35 Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee 106 Updated June 2026 Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (Consolidated) (19) Despite Section 3.13 - Home-Based Businesses, Subsection 3.13.6 - bed and The provisions of this Bylaw apply to that portion of Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area that lies within Electoral Area “F” of the Capital Regional District |
How it works
Salt Spring Island is not a municipality, and zoning is set by the Islands Trust, not the CRD. Land Use Bylaw No. 355 s. 3.13 allows a home-based business as an accessory use to a home. It must be indoors, in the dwelling, a seasonal cottage or an enclosed accessory building (pottery kilns excepted), and only for occupations on the bylaw's list (s. 3.13.6). The operator must live on the premises.
The zone tables list it as an accessory use in residential, rural, forestry and agricultural zones, so check your zone with the Trust. Farm operations are not limited by s. 3.13.
Steps
- Confirm you live on the lot where the business operates.
- Check your work is on the allowed list in s. 3.13.6. The list excludes auto body repair. Automobile repair is allowed only on lots over 2 ha (one bay, up to 25 m², screened).
- Keep within the limits below.
- Call the Islands Trust at 250-537-9144 to confirm your zone allows it.
Good to know
- Floor area: up to 50% of the dwelling and accessory buildings, to a maximum of 70 m² on lots of 1.2 ha or less, and 150 m² on larger lots.
- Staff: up to 3 non-resident employees, or 4 on larger lots.
- No exterior sign of the business except signs the bylaw permits (see s. 6.1).
- Parking must be on the lot and screened, 3 m from side lines and 7.6 m from front and rear lines. The minimum is 1 space per non-resident employee.
- Noise must be under 40 dB beyond the lot. No vibration, smoke, dust, odour, litter, glare or contamination may be detectable outside the lot.
- Boarding houses are barred in the Agriculture 2, Rural Watershed 1 and 2, Rural Islet and Forestry 2 zones.
- Agricultural Land Reserve lots have extra provincial limits.
- We found no licence or fee for a home-based business. See the business-licence answer.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Home-based business rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Salt Spring Island Land Use Bylaw No. 355 (PDF, consolidated June 2026), section 3.13 (read 2026-11-05)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 5 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.