Province rejects Penticton’s request for flexibility on short-term rental rules

Penticton is not getting any leniency when it comes to British Columbia’s new short-term rental regulations.

The City announced today that it will align its bylaws and licensing requirements for short-term rentals to meet the provincial legislation that comes into effect on May 1, 2024.

It’s not necessarily a surprise, as Penticton has a population over 10,000 and didn’t meet the Province’s exemption requirement of having a rental vacancy over 3% for the last two years.

However, Penticton council did write a letter to the provincial government requesting flexibility in the implementation of these new rules, urging the Province to recognize the city’s “unique character.”

“The City has now received a response and the Province is standing firm on the legislation,” explains a City-issued media release this afternoon.

As a result, Penticton will join much of BC in shifting to new short-term rental regulations on May 1, which means they will only be permitted as part of a principal residence.

“You will not be able to operate a short-term rental in a non-principal residence, even if you hold a business licence valid for 2024 from the City,” notes the City release.

Those who have an active short-term rental business licence for a non-principal residence are asked to email their request to close the account to [email protected] by May 1.

The City will be issuing partial fee refunds to closure requests provided within 185 days of licence issuance, a date you can find on your business licence.

“Operators who meet the provincial residency requirement will be contacted to provide confirmation that they meet the new legislation,” the release adds. “The City will be communicating next steps for the process in the coming weeks.”

For more information on BC’s forthcoming rule changes for short-term rentals, click this link.