---
title: Telkwa short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)
question: "Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Telkwa?"
place: Telkwa, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/telkwa
category: Housing and renting
owner: shared
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/short-term-rental/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/short-term-rental.json"
---

# Telkwa short-term rental rules (Airbnb, Vrbo)

**Question:** Can I rent out my home or a room on Airbnb in Telkwa?

**Short answer:** Yes, in Telkwa you can run a short-term rental as an accessory use of a dwelling in the R1, R2, C2 and C3 zones, if it is your principal residence and you rent at most three bedrooms. You need a Village business licence. The Province also runs a short-term rental registry.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** No short-term rental fee is listed in the Village's fee schedule. The Bed and Breakfast business licence is $127.56 a year.  
**How long:** Not stated by the Village.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 1415 Hankin Avenue, Telkwa, BC V0J 2X0 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and statutory holidays).)
- Phone: Village Office, 250-846-5212
- Email: Village Office, info@telkwa.ca

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Yes, as an accessory use of a dwelling in the R1, R2, C2 and C3 zones, run by someone who uses the property as their principal residence. At most three bedrooms may be rented.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 3.14.2 to 3.14.4](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "A Short-Term Rental Accommodation must be operated by someone who uses the property as their Principal Residence." … "The maximum number of bedrooms available for Short-Term Rental Accommodation, on a Residential property shall be three (3)."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 5.2.2 (R1), 6.2.2 (R2)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: ".7 Home Business .8 Short-Term Rental Accommodation" … ".3 Home Business .4 Short-Term Rental Accommodation"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 1 "Short-Term Rental Accommodation"](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "that provides Temporary Accommodation to the travelling public."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Business licence:** Yes. All short-term rental operators must hold a valid Village business licence. No short-term rental fee is listed; Bed and Breakfast is $127.56 a year.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 3.14.1](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "All operators of Short-Term Rental Accommodations must hold a valid Business Licence from the Village of Telkwa."
  - Source: [Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025, Schedule A, Business Licence, Accommodation](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/)
  - Official wording: "Bed and Breakfast $ 127.56"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Provincial registration:** Provincial registration applies to short-term rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local business licence is required. Telkwa is on the Province's exempt list for the principal residence requirement only.
  - Source: [Short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Province: Business licence exemptions](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Provincial registration requirements apply to short-term rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, regardless of whether a local business licence is required."
  - Source: [Short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Municipalities exempt from the principal residence requirement](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Sun Peaks Taylor Telkwa Tahsis"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Operating rules:** Operator's principal residence; accessory to the dwelling; at most three bedrooms; no exterior changes out of character with neighbouring homes; off-street parking of 1 per bedroom plus the spaces required for the principal dwelling (Table 16.1).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), s. 3.14.3, 3.14.5, 3.14.6](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "A Short-Term Rental Accommodation must be Accessory to the use of the Dwelling for Residential purposes." … "A Short-Term Rental Accommodation will not result in any exterior alterations to a Principal or Accessory Building that are not consistent with the character of adjacent Residential Buildings and property." … "Off-street parking shall be provided in accordance with Section 16." … "Bed and Breakfast 1 per bedroom plus required spaces for Short-term Rental Accommodation Principal Dwelling"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), Table 16.1](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "Short-term Rental Accommodation Principal Dwelling"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** $106.30 for operating a business without a licence (Business Licence Bylaw s. 3.1(a)). No ticket amount specific to short-term rentals is listed.
  - Source: [Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025, Schedule B, Business Licence Bylaw](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/)
  - Official wording: "Operating a Business Without a Business 3.1(a) $ 106.30"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022, s. 3.14; Business Licence Bylaw No. 748, 2022; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), title](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
  - Official wording: "The Village of Telkwa Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022"
  - Source: [Bylaws library (Business Licence Bylaw No. 748, 2022), Village document library listing](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/2525/)
  - Official wording: "Business Licence Bylaw No. 748, 2022"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw No. 747](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/), s. 3.14, allows short-term rental accommodation as an accessory use of a dwelling in the R1, R2, C2 and C3 zones. All operators must hold a valid Village business licence. The rules:

- The operator uses the property as their principal residence.
- At most three bedrooms may be rented.
- No exterior changes out of character with neighbouring homes.
- Off-street parking of 1 per bedroom, plus the spaces required for the principal dwelling.

## Steps

1. Confirm your zone with the Village (see the zoning-lookup answer).
2. Apply for a Village business licence; the fee schedule has no short-term rental class, so ask the Village which class and fee apply.
3. Check the Province's Short-Term Rental Registry requirements.

## Good to know

- The Province's registration applies to rentals offered for fewer than 90 consecutive days, whether or not a local licence is required. Telkwa is on the Province's exempt list for the provincial principal residence requirement only; the local zoning rule still requires a principal residence.
- Operating a business without a licence is a $106.30 ticket (Business Licence Bylaw s. 3.1(a)). No ticket amount specific to short-term rentals is listed.
- No rule was found on posting a licence number, naming a local contact, or a guest limit.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/)
- [Short-term rentals, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)

## Related questions

- [Telkwa business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/business-licence.md)
- [Telkwa home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/home-based-business.md)
- [Telkwa secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/secondary-suite.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/short-term-rental.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/short-term-rental.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/short-term-rental.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/short-term-rental.md)
- [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/short-term-rental.md)
- [Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hazelton/short-term-rental.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 747, 2022 (PDF, "Consolidated 2023"), Village of Telkwa](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/32707/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Consolidated Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025 (PDF), Village of Telkwa](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaws library (Business Licence Bylaw No. 748, 2022), Village of Telkwa](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/2525/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Short-term rental principal residence requirement, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/short-term-rental/_