NEW: PST and Tourism Tax

As of October 1st, 2018, short-term rental hosts must remit PST and the local tourism tax for guest stays. This is a requirement of the Province of British Columbia. More information can be found in this notice. Some online platforms, such as Airbnb, may do this on your behalf. Please direct any questions directly to the Province using the contact information at the end of the noticed linked to above. The City of Nelson is not involved with this new taxation requirement and cannot answer questions.

Short-Term Rental Regulations

Commonly referred to as “Airbnb”, “home sharing”, or “vacation rental”, short-term rental (STR) refers to the commercial accommodation of guests in a private residence – a room, apartment, secondary suite, or house – on a temporary basis (30 days or less). The type of business licence required depends on the zoning of the property in question. You can confirm the zoning your property is subject to using the City of Nelson’s Interactive Zoning Map.

Prior to operating a short-term vacation rental within a residential zone (R1, R2, R3, R4, R6, MU2, MU3, MU4, CD1, CD6, CD9) you must have a ‘short-term rental’ business licence. This licence must be renewed annually and can be obtained from City Hall at Development Services (2nd floor). Please use the following application form. 

• Information on the short-term regulations can be found on the application form.
• In residential zones, no more than three short-term rentals are permitted per block. To see how many short-term rentals are already on your block, visit the interactive map on the right-hand column of this page.
• If you already have a licence and would like to renew for the coming year, the renewal form will be emailed to you mid-November. You may also pick up a renewal form from Development Services.

A short-term vacation rental within a commercial zone (C1, C1A, C2, C4, MU1) is not considered a "short-term rental" in the City of Nelson and the short-term rental regulations described on this website do not apply. Rather, you must hold a business licence as a ‘tourist accommodation’ - the same as a hotel. This licence is automatically renewed annually and can be obtained from City Hall customer service representatives (first floor). For a short-term rental in a commercial zone, please use the City's standard business licence application form.

Non-compliance with zoning or the lack of a business licence can result in a fine of $500 per day.

Please consult the Complaints page regarding any STR-related complaints or issues.