Pick from one of the following. If your rental doesn't fit these categories, it may be a long-term rental.

Minor Short Term Rental: For renting out your property for a few weeks in the year (under 30 calendar days in the year). The owner must be present on the property during rentals. This category is ideal for a room, secondary suite, or carriage house rental.   Number of guests limited to two people per bedroom with a maximum of six guests.

Major Short Term Rental: For renting out your property if you’re not present on the property during rentals. The number of guests is limited to two people per bedroom with a maximum of six guests.

Major Short Term Rental – High Occupant: For renting out your property to seven or more guests. Due to the increase in density, this type of vacation rental requires additional staff review as well as public consultation with adjacent neighbours. Additional on-site parking is required.

To get started, you will need the following:

• Know the maximum number of people sleeping in the rental.
• Your business address, contact information and business start date.
• The location must be your primary residence or the property qualifies for an exemption as outlined by the Province. 
• Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee, which is required to complete the application: Minimum $30 fee up to $265 for the Short-Term Rental High Occupancy licence (a third part credit card processing fee will also apply).

Application Form

Did you work through the checklist above? Great! You're ready to fill out your application.

Business Licence Application

A Bed and Breakfast home provides temporary overnight accommodation and breakfast to tourists. Where permitted, it is operated as an accessory use within a single detached dwelling with a maximum four sleeping units providing accommodation for a maximum of two guests per sleeping unit. The licensed operator of the B&B must reside in the dwelling.

Anyone interested in opening a B&B within the City of Penticton should meet with our Planning Department prior to applying for a Business Licence to ensure the location is zoned correctly.

Bed and Breakfasts shall provide 1 parking stall per bedroom to a maximum of 3, plus 1 for the corresponding dwelling unit.

The Short-Term Rental Guide is for people considering operating a short-term rental. It outlines the following:

• Business Licensing Process & Guidelines
• Short-term Rental Eligibility & Zoning
• Applicable Regulations & Bylaws
• Overview Of Standard Safety & Health Requirements
• Overview Of Building Code Requirements

Short-Term Rental Guide

Smoke Alarm and Carbon Monoxide Log

The provincial government introduced tax regulations on October 1, 2018 requiring short-term vacation rental businesses to collect and remit PST and the Municipal and Regional District Tax(MRDT) for guest stays.

For more information, please visit Bulletin PST or the Government of British Columbia website. Some online platforms, such as Airbnb, may do this on your behalf, Please direct any questions directly to the Province using the contact information found in the link above. The City of Penticton is not involved with this new taxation requirement and cannot answer questions.

Bylaw Enforcement Officers will be actively enforcing the vacation rental regulations. Property owners who operate vacation rentals without having a business licence or are operating against the regulations will be subject to bylaw enforcement and liable for daily fines for an ongoing offence.

This includes the rental of units to more than the maximum number of occupants or for the disturbance of neighbouring residents.

The STR must adhere to specific health and safety standards. Please refer to the Short-Term Rental Guide. For more information on these requirements, contact Business Licensing at 250-490-2488.

We do not require approval from strata corporations for the operation of STRs. The City recommends owners of strata units review the rules and regulations of their strata corporation.

We do not require evidence that a dwelling unit has proper insurance for the operation of a STR. The City recommends owners speak with their insurance providers about their coverage.

Business Licensing
Phone: 250-490-2488
Email: businesslicences@penticton.ca