Principal residence only
$1,108/yr
plus a $77 application fee
The home you live in for most of the year; a second home or an investment unit does not qualify. The licence is tied to the operator and the unit, so it does not transfer on a sale. Penalties reach $1,000 a day for operating without a City licence, and $5,000 a day provincially for operating unregistered.
Principal residence, 90 nights a year
Capped at 90 nights a year, of which up to 28 may be the entire home while you are away. Maximum four unrelated guests, or six from one family. Not permitted in rental units, secondary suites, laneway homes or garages. Fines to $500 per infraction, escalating.
Whole-unit rental never permitted
The strictest in the region. Only two forms are allowed, and both require you to live there: a bed and breakfast, limited to detached houses, three rooms and six guests, with 500 metres between B&Bs; or boarding and lodging, limited to two guests. Renting an entire unit is not permitted under any circumstances. Strata buildings need written council permission. Fines to $1,000 a day.
Principal residence plus one suite
$358/yr
plus provincial registration
Tracks the provincial rule closely: your principal residence plus one secondary suite or coach house on the same property. Council endorsed a streamlined, risk-based licence approval process in March 2026.
Bed and breakfast only
B&B licence
fee not published
Short-term rental is not permitted unless licensed as a bed and breakfast, treated as a home-based business: the operator lives on site, guests stay under 90 days, and a daily breakfast is provided. A conventional whole-unit listing does not meet that definition.
Principal residence, under 90 days
A City business licence plus provincial registration. Restricted to a resident's principal residence, with stays under 90 consecutive days. Off-street parking is required for most short-term rentals in single-family zones, or where an accessory unit is used.
One unit per property, six guests
$350/yr
plus provincial registration
Either the principal residence or a secondary suite may be rented, but not both, to a maximum of six guests, for stays under 90 consecutive days.
Anything under 30 days counts as short-term
A shorter threshold than its neighbours, which use 90 days, so monthly arrangements that are fine elsewhere are captured here. A licence has been required since January 2025 and enforcement began that May. Principal residences only, and one unit per parcel.
Home-based business licence
Licence
plus an inspection
At least one permanent resident must live in and operate the rental. A maximum of two guests or one family at a time, the rented space must be under 40 percent of the residential floor area, and it cannot have separate cooking facilities.
Bed and breakfast only
A maximum of two bedrooms may be rented, the owner must live in the home, and parking must be provided for guests. The operator must occupy the home as a primary residence for at least six months of the year.
Licence required, rules in flux
The provincial principal-residence rule applies. The City has been advancing a stricter framework that would limit short-term rental to bed and breakfasts and private rooms. I could not confirm from published sources which parts are now in force, so this is the one municipality to call directly before assuming anything about a specific address.
White Rock
City of White Rock
Registered secondary suite only
Stricter than the provincial baseline in an unusual way: short-term rental is permitted only from an accessory, registered secondary suite that meets BC Building Code requirements.
Other municipalities
Delta, Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows
Provincial rule applies, confirm locally
The provincial principal-residence requirement reaches these communities, but their municipal bylaws are not summarised here because I could not verify current published rules at the time of writing. Confirm directly with the municipality before committing to a property.