What is the BC Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (STRAA)?

Direct answer

The Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (STRAA), effective May 1, 2024, restricts short-term rentals (less than 90 consecutive days, e.g., Airbnb / VRBO / Booking.com) in most BC municipalities to a host's PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE. The principal-residence requirement applies in municipalities with populations over 10,000 and in adjacent communities — covering virtually all of Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Capital Regional District, the Okanagan, and major Vancouver Island markets. Hosts must register both with the BC government and with their municipality, and must display the registration number in every listing. Enforcement is data-shared: STRAA platforms must remove non-compliant listings within 5 days of notice. Penalties are severe — up to $50,000 per offence under provincial fines, plus municipal fines (Vancouver enforces up to $1,000 per day per offence). Strata corporations RETAIN the right to prohibit short-term rentals via bylaw — STRAA sets a floor, not a ceiling. For investors: STRAA effectively ended the "investment Airbnb" model in BC urban centres. For buyers shopping in tourism markets like Whistler, Tofino, and Kelowna: confirm whether the property is in a designated STRAA-exempt area before underwriting short-term rental income.