Short-term rentals (STRs) are NOT permitted in Saanich, in any zone.
Saanich restricts short-term rentals to prioritize and support long-term rental housing, which is much needed in Saanich.
The District of Saanich’s Zoning Bylaw 8200 defines “short-term rental” as accommodation that is less than 30 consecutive days.
Upcoming Changes to the Provincial Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act
Effective May 1, 2024, there will be new rules implemented for areas that do allow short-term rentals.
From the provincial site:
"Legislation has been enacted to give local governments stronger enforcement tools for their short-term rental bylaws, return short-term rentals to the the long-term rental market, and establish a new Provincial role in regulating short-term rentals."
These changes will not affect Saanich, as short-term rentals are NOT permitted.
OK, I can’t operate a short-term rental in Saanich – what CAN I do?
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What CAN I do? |
What can I NOT do? |
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Apply for a Bed and Breakfast Licence with the District of Saanich. |
Rent any dwelling or unit as a short-term rental (less than 30 consecutive days).
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Bed and Breakfast:
means a home occupation use providing temporary accommodation to guests that involves the use of sleeping units in a dwelling unit where the room rental rate includes breakfast provided on the premises. (Zoning Bylaw 8200) |
Short-Term Rental:
means the renting of a dwelling unit, or one or more sleeping units in a dwelling unit, for overnight accommodation for a period of less than 30 consecutive days, but does not include Bed and Breakfast or Tourist Accommodation. (Zoning Bylaw 8200)
Tourist Accommodation:
means a use providing for the accommodation of the transient public in individual dwelling units or sleeping units; may include within the principal building licensed premises, dining facilities, meeting rooms, personal services, and retail sales. (Zoning Bylaw 8200) |
What are the requirements for applying for a Bed and Breakfast Licence?
Bed and Breakfast Licence applications are processed through several departments to ensure all requirements are met.
Business Licence Requirements:
Saanich permits Bed and Breakfast Licences in certain zones as a home occupation use.
To apply for a Bed and Breakfast Licence, your application must meet the following requirements:
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Not more than 40 m2 (430 sq. ft.) or 20% of the combined floor area of all structures on the lot, whichever is lesser, shall be used on any parcel of land to provide sleeping accommodation for guests in a bed and breakfast (Common areas, kitchens and outdoor spaces would not be included in this calculation – it is only the bedrooms.)
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Only principal residences (where the applicant lives for the majority of the calendar year) are permitted for this licence type. Garden suites and accessory buildings are NOT permitted for Bed and Breakfast use in Saanich.
- Applicants are required to submit a copy of a valid photo ID and address, and a copy of the floor plan.
Planning Requirements:
In Saanich, short-term rentals (STRs) are defined as rentals that are 30 consecutive days or less.
STRs are prohibited in all zones.*
- The prohibition is achieved by omitting the use in all residential zones (s. 3.2, Zoning Bylaw); garden suites are explicitly prohibiting STRs (s. 5.35(e), Zoning Bylaw).
Through the home occupation “use” in certain zones, accommodations of a short-term nature may be licenced through the Bed and Breakfast provisions (s. 5.5(b) of the Zoning Bylaw).
- This provision effectively ensures the rental is in a primary residence;
- This would be like renting an extra bedroom within a home.
A minimum of 0.5 parking spaces are required on property per bedroom used for guests.
For any planning questions, please email Planning or call (250) 475-5471 or visit our Community Planning page.
Building Inspection Requirements:
- Floor plans must show room uses (rented rooms also).
- Floor plans to be drawn at ¼” to foot scale and identify all room uses
- No second kitchen is permitted for Bed and Breakfast use, per BC Building Code requirement.
- Smoke alarms/CO alarms must be interconnected and shown on plans.
- Plans must include egress window opened size.
For any building inspection questions, please email Inspections or call (250) 475-5458 or visit our Inspections page.
Saanich Fire Department Requirements:
- Portable Fire Extinguishers
A minimum of 1-5 lb multi-purpose dry chemical (2A-10BC) is required. Fire extinguishers shall be installed to be conspicuously located and readily accessible, mounted near the exit with the top of the extinguisher not higher than 5 ft from the floor. - Smoke Alarms
Smoke alarms are required in all sleeping rooms throughout the house, as well as in the hallways on every level of the house and shall be inter-connected so that the activation of one alarm will cause all the alarms within the house to sound. - Carbon Monoxide (C0) Alarms
Carbon Monoxide (C0) Alarms are required if the house has an attached garage or has a fuel-fired (natural gas, propane, fuel oil, diesel, wood) appliance such as a furnace, hot water tank, stove or fireplace. - Egress from Bedrooms
All sleeping rooms must have smoke alarms, and shall have at least one outside window or exterior door openable from the inside without the use of keys, tools or special knowledge and shall provide an unobstructed opening of not less than 0.35 m2 with no dimension less than 380 mm.
For any fire inspection questions, please email Fire Prevention or call (250) 475-5500 or visit our Fire Prevention page.
References:
Saanich Fire Prevention Bylaw 9712, No. 2021
BC Fire Code (2018) 2.1 and 6.7
BC Building Code (2018) 9.9.10 and 9.10.19
NFPA 10
Applying for a Bed and Breakfast Licence
Please ensure all requirements are enclosed with your submisson.
Bed and Breakfast Business Licence Application
When applicants obtain their approved Bed and Breakfast Licence they are required to display a valid business licence number on their listing. If a listing does not include a valid business licence, the short-term rental platform must remove the listing at the request of the District.
Fees and Renewals
- Bed and Breakfast Licence (Home-Based Business): $100/year
- Licences automatically renew annually on January 1st.
- Read more about Business Licence Fees.