Short Term Rental and Bed & Breakfast Operations in Smithers

NEW - July 2025: Short Term Rental Business Licensing & Provincial Registration  

As per the provincial STR registration requirements released in early 2025, all existing STR operators were required to register their units with the provincial STR Branch by May 1, 2025, which was later extended to June 2, 2025. In communities with established STR-business licensing requirements, STR operators are required to share details of their local government-issued Business License, as part of completing the provincial STR Registration process. Where the licensing requirements were established recently and STR operators have not had a reasonable time to comply with the licensing requirements, STR operators, while completing the provincial registration process, had the option to upload a confirmation letter issued by the local government, in lieu of the business license information, helping them to maintain their online advertisement and bookings. 

As the Town’s business licensing requirements for STRs were established in October 2024, the Town had issued confirmation letters to all STR business license applicants who could not obtain a license prior to the initial May 1, 2025, deadline. This provision allowed the STR operators to work with the Town to obtain a Business License, and to consequently meet the provincial STR registration requirements. As per the current provincial registration timelines, STR operators must comply with the business licensing requirements by August 1, 2025.  

Business Licensing Approach for STRs: In order to accommodate the needs of STR operators who have applied for a Business License but still need extra time to achieve compliance, while also considering the importance of STRs in the local economic development, the Town, as permitted by the province, has approved a flexible business licensing approach. The proposed approach maintains to balance between community interests, interests of the STR operators, and the goals of the Town’s STR regulatory framework. 

If you are an existing STR operator and intends to continue STR operations in the future, make sure that you: 

  • Apply for a Town of Smithers Business License by August 1, 2025, by submitting a completed Business License application form, including the STR/B&B Checklist and the supporting documents. 
  • Work with the Town to achieve compliance, if the Town confirms an existing non-conformance after the review of your application/premise inspection. Depending on the nature of non-compliance identified, achieving compliance may require modifications / upgrade to your existing STR space, or approval of additional development approvals. 
  • Obtain a Business License from the Town and submit it to the provincial STR Branch before December 31, 2025.  
  • Notify the Town in case you decide to discontinue the STR operations for any reasons or anticipate potential delays in achieving compliance before the December 31, 2025 deadline. 

View the Licensing Process Chart for STRs.

Eligibility: 

If you are an existing operator and you are already working with the Town to achieve compliance with the STR business licensing requirements, you will qualify for the Business License exemption provision available until December 31, 2025, provided that you submit to the Town a written confirmation on your intent to obtain STR Business License by the above timeline or sooner. 

A failure to obtain a Business License from the Town and submit it to the province by the December 31, 2025, will automatically lead to the removal of your STR listing from the online platforms, immediately impacting your ability to advertise or maintain existing / new bookings. Note that, at this point, the Town has no intent to extend the Business License exemption provision for the non-conforming STR operations in Smithers beyond December 31, 2025. 

Taking account of the provincial timelines and the intent of the Town’s STR regulatory framework, in August 2025, the Town will advise the provincial STR Branch to remove the following categories of STR listings from the online STR platforms): 

  1. No Business License application submitted as of August 1, 2025 (including those who have not submitted a complete application). 
  1. Has submitted a Business License application, but does not intend to comply with the licensing requirements by December 31, 2025. 
  1. Has submitted a business license application but decided to cancel the application for personal or other reasons.  

The STR-Business License exemption provision available until December 31, 2025, will not be available to new STR Operations. Under the current provincial and local STR regulatory frameworks, all new STR operations must first obtain a Town of Smithers Business License, before they apply to the provincial STR Branch for a registration number.

 

Background: In alignment with the Homes for People Provincial Housing Plan, the Province introduced the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act in October 2023. This legislation established new requirements for operating short-term rentals (STRs), such as Airbnbs and bed & breakfasts, while empowering local governments to regulate STRs in ways that best serve their communities.

Key Provincial Changes Include:

  • STR operators must obtain and display a provincial registration number and a business license number (where required locally).
  • The principal residence requirement will apply to communities with populations over 10,000 as of May 1, 2024; Smithers already adopted this rule in its Zoning Bylaw in October 2022.
  • Non-conforming STR operations must cease by May 1, 2024.
  • Increased fines for bylaw infractions, from $1,000/day to $3,000/day.
  • Requirements for online platforms to remove illegal STR listings.
  • New data-sharing mechanisms and a Provincial Compliance and Enforcement Unit to support enforcement.

Provincial Short-Term Rental Registry:
Anyone operating a Short-Term Rental (STR) or Bed & Breakfast (B&B) in BC will be required to register with the Province before May 1, 2025. Hosts who don’t comply with the new requirements and don’t have a provincial registration number will have their listing taken down as of June 1, 2025.

As of October 22, 2024, the Town established new licensing requirements for STRs and B&B operations in Smithers. Compliance with the local STR regulations -- including obtaining a Business License from the Town -- is necessary to comply with the provincial STR regulation requirements.

Visit Register as a host - Province of British Columbia to complete the provincial STR registration process and/or for further details
 

Town of Smithers STR Regulations

To align with provincial legislation and address local needs, the Town of Smithers initiated the STR Regulation Review Project in April 2024. The project aimed to:

  1. Inform the public and stakeholders about the new legislation and its implications.
  2. Review the Town’s existing STR regulations, including bed & breakfast operations.
  3. Establish updated STR regulations that balance community benefits and minimize adverse impacts.

Through surveys, focus groups, and information sessions, public feedback helped shape bylaw updates for the Town of Smithers. The Bylaw Amendments to regulate short-term rental operations were adopted by Council in October 2024. 

These changes balance the benefits of STRs—like supporting tourism and the local economy—with the need to protect housing availability and minimize impacts on neighborhoods.

Key Changes to the Bylaws:

  1. Clear Definitions: New and updated definitions for STRs, motels, B&Bs, and permanent residents ensure consistency and clarity.
  2. Zoning Updates: STRs and B&Bs will be permitted as auxiliary uses in specific residential, agricultural, and commercial zones.
  3. Licensing Requirements:
  4. Parking Rules: STRs in downtown zones must meet minimum parking requirements to avoid congestion.
  5. Local Contacts: STR operators must provide two local contacts available 24/7 during guest stays.
  6. Fees: An annual license fee of $160 will apply to all STRs and B&Bs, with auxiliary licenses costing $50.
  7. Enforcement: While fines remain unchanged, the Town may revisit penalties based on future enforcement needs.

Additional resources:

  1. Province of BC Short-Term Rental Regulations Website 
  2. Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act
  3. Short-Term Rentals: Policy Guidance for BC Local Governments