In Sicamous, short-term rentals (or tourist accommodations) are currently permitted in the MUR-2, CR, C-1 to C-4 and C-6 zones.

The District of Sicamous requires a business licence for a host to operate a short-term rental. Effective May 1, 2024, the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act requires short-term rental hosts to display a valid business licence number on their listing.

This means short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, and FlipKey must remove the listing at the District’s request if there is no valid business licence listed in the advertisement for the short-term rental. The valid business licence number must also be advertised in other listing platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Craigslist, websites and classified ads in newspapers. 

Did you know that the District of Sicamous already requires your valid business license to be listed on advertising platforms as per the Business Licensing and Regulations Bylaw No. 830, 2011? We have been working with short-term rental hosts to help bring them into compliance with district bylaws and provincial regulations. 

Later this year the BC Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act will also require all short-term rental hosts and platforms to join a provincial short-term rental registry. People who operate a short-term rental in Sicamous are required to list their valid business licence number AND join the provincial registry. Platforms will be required to validate registration numbers on host listings against the Province’s registry data. More information to come on that from the province soon. 

Apply for a Short-Term Rental Business Licence!

• Apply Online
• PDF Application (Please email application to developmentservices@sicamous.ca)

Learn more:

• Overview: B.C.'s short-term rental accommodations legislation 

Originally posted on March 6, 2024