Business, Building & Development

Short Term Rentals

Short-term rentals are the rental of a residential dwelling unit by paying guests for a temporary period (often less than a month). This includes homes, suites, apartments, garden suites, and more.

The Town of Gibsons regulates short-term rentals in order to protect long-term rental housing and maintain the character of residential neighbourhoods, while also allowing homeowners to earn extra income and providing tourists with accommodation options for staying in Gibsons.

Which Operating Stream Applies to Me?

Refers to dwelling units that have a principal resident (i.e someone who lives there at least nine consecutive months of the year)

*A person cannot have more than one principal residence, and a principal residence cannot include more than one dwelling unit.

Entire Unit Rental:

  • You may rent your entire principal residence for a maximum of 3 consecutive calendar months in a calendar year.
  • One-time application fee of $400* + annual business licence fee of $200.

Partial-Unit Rentals

  • You may rent up to two bedrooms in your principal residence year-round (you must be present during guest stays).
  • One-time application fee of $400* + annual business licence fee of $200.

*Separate $400 application fees will be charged if you apply for both Partial Unit and Entire Unit licences at the same time (for the same unit).

This refers to dwelling units where no one permanently resides. This could be an entire house or apartment, a secondary suite attached to your principal residence, or a garden suite located on your property.

*Please note that a secondary suite or garden suite must be a legal, permitted rental unit before it can be used as an STR.

Entire-Unit Rental:

  • You may rent your entire dwelling unit on a short-term basis year-round.
  • A limited number of entire-unit short-term rental business licences will be issued annually. Please contact the Planning department to inquire about applying.
  • One-time application fee of $400* + annual business licence fee of $2000.

Eligibility

Only individuals (not companies) are allowed to operate a short-term rental. Companies can still help with things like maintenance and managing complaints, but it is individual operators who must
hold the business licence, whose name and contact information must appear in short-term rental
advertisements and listings, and who are ultimately responsible for ensuring short term rental use complies with Gibsons’ regulations.

Here’s an overview of the requirements:

  • You must be an individual (not a company or corporation).
  • You must apply for and hold a valid business licence issued by the Town of Gibsons.
  • You must provide a complete application, including:
    • A Guest Safety Attestation
    • A Fire Safety Plan
    • A Parking Plan
    • A recent Title
    • Contact information for a Designated Responsible Person
  • Your unit must be a legal dwelling unit (not a tent, RV, boat, etc.).
  • You must include your business licence number in all advertising.
  • You must agree to inspections and ongoing compliance with all Town regulations.
  • Both owners and renters can operate short-term rentals (with Strata and Landlord approvals, as applicable).
For safety and administrative reasons, short-term rentals are not permitted in boats, RVs, tents, yurts or anything that isn’t a dwelling unit.

How to Apply

  • Apply for a Business Licence

Both Stream 1 and Stream 2 short-term rental operators require a business license. You must submit a new business licence application, even if you have previously held a business licence for your rental unit. Operators will require a separate business licence for each subtype of short term rental they wish to operate.

  • Fill out the following forms
  • Obtain Your Property Title

All short-term rental applications require a copy of your Property Title. There are two ways to obtain this:

  1. Search yourself via the BC Land Titles Office
  2. The Town can request it for $50 (payable with application)

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the province has developed a new regulation under the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act to implement a provincial short-term rental registry. More information can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/registry

An entire dwelling unit means a self-contained room or set of rooms, with a private entrance, that is designed and intended to be occupied as a residence, and includes, at a minimum, separate and distinct sleeping, sanitary and cooking facilities.

Yes, all new and pre-existing short-term rentals, need to apply for a business licence.

No, only legally permitted dwelling units are eligible for a short-term rental licence.

No, your dwelling unit must be legally permitted. You can contact the building department to discuss permitting requirements at building@gibsons.ca

Yes, please make sure to complete the landlord consent form along with the other required documents.

Definitions

Dwelling Unit means a self-contained room or set of rooms, with a private entrance, that is designed and intended to be occupied as a residence, and includes, at a minimum, separate and distinct sleeping, sanitary and cooking facilities.

Principal Residence means a single dwelling unit (see definition below) where a person lives at least nine months in a calendar year and conducts their daily affairs, including, without limitation, paying bills and receiving mail, and is the dwelling unit with the residential address used on documentation related to billing, identification, taxation and insurance purposes, including, without limitation, income tax returns, Medical Services Plan documentation, driver’s licenses, personal identification, and vehicle registration.

*A person cannot have more than one principal residence and a principal residence cannot include more than one dwelling unit.

Short-term Rental means the accessory use of a dwelling unit or a portion of a dwelling unit, for the accommodation of paying guests for less than 30 days, but is not a residential tenancy.

Residential Tenancy means the use of an entire dwelling unit or portion thereof under a tenancy agreement that has a term of 30 days or more, and is subject to the Residential Tenancy Act.

Provincial Regulations

As of May 1, 2025, all short-term rentals in B.C. must be registered with the Province under the new Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act. Hosts must display both a provincial registration number and a valid Town of Gibsons business licence number in all listings. The Province’s Compliance and Enforcement Unit will work alongside local bylaw enforcement to ensure compliance with both provincial and municipal regulations.