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

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

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

**Short answer:** Vanderhoof has no short-term rental rule. The Zoning Bylaw does not name them, and uses not expressly permitted are prohibited. A bed and breakfast is allowed in some zones. You need a business licence ($150 a year) and, under provincial rules, a provincial registration.

**Who handles it:** More than one level of government  
**Cost:** Business licence $150 a year. Provincial registration fee is $100 a year for your own home or $450 for a secondary unit.  
**How long:** Not stated.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Municipal Office, 250-567-4711 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
- Email: Business licence applications, accrec@vanderhoof.ca
- Online: Short-Term Rentals, Province of BC, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement

## Key facts

- **Allowed:** Not named in the Zoning Bylaw, and uses not expressly permitted are prohibited. A bed and breakfast is allowed as an accessory use to a single-family dwelling where the zone lists it (R-1, RS-1, RR-1, RR-2): owner-occupied, two rooms at most, stays of 10 consecutive days or less.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1230, 2020, s. 4.9 Bed and Breakfast, Zoning Bylaw Part 4, Bed and Breakfast](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72408/)
  - Official wording: "BED AND BREAKFAST means an accessory use to a single-family dwelling to provide lodging" … "A maximum of two rooms may be used for providing lodging to the traveling public;" … "The bed and breakfast establishment shall be occupied by the owner of the single-" … "The length of stay for a guest shall not exceed ten (10) consecutive days;" … "expressly permitted in this Bylaw are prohibited."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Business licence:** A business licence is required for any business, including one run from a residence; the general business fee is $150 a year. The bylaw does not name short-term rentals.
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 912, 2001, consolidated to March 9, 2026, Business Licence Bylaw s. 1.2, 2.1; Schedule C](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72410/)
  - Official wording: "includes a business operating from a residence" … "No persons shall carry on business within the District unless that person has obtained and" … "01 Business $150.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Provincial registration:** Vanderhoof is on the Province's list of communities exempt from the principal residence requirement. Hosts still register with the Province when renting for fewer than 90 consecutive days (provincial fee $100 a year for the host's own home, $450 for a secondary unit).
  - Source: [Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Province page, List of exempt communities](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "Vanderhoof" … "Communities exempt from the provincial principal residence requirement:"
  - Source: [Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Province page, 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"
  - Source: [Short-term rentals, principal residence requirement, Province of BC, Province page, registration fees](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)
  - Official wording: "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:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Operating rules:** Bed and breakfast: at most two rooms, no roomers or boarders at the same time, owner lives in the home, stays up to 10 consecutive days, one non-illuminated sign up to 0.4 m². Parking for a single-family dwelling is 2 spaces.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1230, 2020, s. 4.9 Bed and Breakfast, Zoning Bylaw Part 4, Bed and Breakfast](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72408/)
  - Official wording: "The single-family dwelling is not simultaneously used for roomers or boarders;" … "A single non-illuminated identification sign, not to exceed 0.4 m2, may be erected" … "A maximum of two rooms may be used for providing lodging to the traveling public;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fine:** Bylaw notices: failing to comply with bed and breakfast rules $250 ($190 if paid within 14 days; $375 after 30 days). Operating without a business licence $250 ($190; $375). On conviction under the Business Licence Bylaw the minimum penalty is $500.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1288, 2025, Schedule A.9 and A.3](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/94033/)
  - Official wording: "Fail to comply with Bed and Breakfast" … "Operate without business" … "licence"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 912, 2001, consolidated to March 9, 2026, Business Licence Bylaw s. 6.2(b)](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72410/)
  - Official wording: "shall be Five Hundred ($500.00) Dollars for each offence."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1230, 2020 (Bed and Breakfast, s. 4.9) and Business Licence Bylaw No. 912, 2001.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1230, 2020, s. 4.9 Bed and Breakfast, Title page](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72408/)
  - Official wording: "DISTRICT OF VANDERHOOF BYLAW 1230, 2020 CONSOLIDATED VERSION (Includes amendment as of July 13, 2026) This is a consolidated copy to be used for convenience only. Users are asked to refer to the Zoning Bylaw as"
  - Source: [Business Licence Bylaw No. 912, 2001, consolidated to March 9, 2026, Title](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72410/)
  - Official wording: "BUSINESS LICENSE BYLAW NO. 912, 2001"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Zoning Bylaw No. 1230](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72408/) does not name short-term rentals, and uses not expressly permitted are prohibited. A bed and breakfast is allowed as an accessory use to a single-family dwelling where the zone lists it (R-1, RS-1, RR-1, RR-2).

Bed and breakfast rules: owner-occupied, at most two rooms, no roomers or boarders at the same time, stays of 10 consecutive days or less, and one non-illuminated sign up to 0.4 m². Parking for a single-family dwelling is 2 spaces. We found no rules on guest numbers, posting a licence number or a local contact for other short-term rentals.

A business licence is required for any business, including one run from a residence. The general fee is $150 a year under the [Business Licence Bylaw No. 912](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72410/), which does not name short-term rentals.

## Steps

1. Check your zone allows a bed and breakfast (see zoning-lookup).
2. Apply for a business licence (see business-licence).
3. Register with the Province if you rent for fewer than 90 consecutive days. Vanderhoof is on the Province's list of communities exempt from the principal residence requirement. The provincial fee is $100 a year for the host's own home or $450 for a secondary unit.

## Good to know

- A bylaw notice for not following bed and breakfast rules is $250 ($190 if paid within 14 days, $375 after 30 days). Operating without a business licence is also $250 ($190, $375).
- On conviction under the Business Licence Bylaw the minimum penalty is $500. This is a court penalty, separate from bylaw notices.
- The licence must be displayed.
- Provincial lists change; confirm on the Province's page.

## Official forms and pages

- [Business Licences, District of Vanderhoof](https://vanderhoof.ca/business/business-licences/)
- [Principal residence requirement, Province of BC](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement)

## Related questions

- [Vanderhoof business licences: who needs one, fees and how to apply](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/business-licence.md)
- [Vanderhoof home-based business rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/home-based-business.md)
- [Vanderhoof secondary suite and carriage house rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/secondary-suite.md)
- [Vanderhoof zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Short-term rental rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/short-term-rental.md)
- [Fraser Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fraser-lake/short-term-rental.md)
- [Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/short-term-rental.md)
- [Prince George](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-george/short-term-rental.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/short-term-rental.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/short-term-rental.md)
- [Quesnel](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/short-term-rental.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1230, 2020, s. 4.9 Bed and Breakfast (PDF)](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72408/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Business Licence Bylaw No. 912, 2001, consolidated to March 9, 2026 (PDF)](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/72410/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1288, 2025 (PDF)](https://vanderhoof.civicweb.net/document/94033/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Short-term rentals, 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/vanderhoof/short-term-rental/_