Short Term Rentals are permitted on most residential properties in Sidney, in accordance with Section 4.1.11 of the Zoning Bylaw.
Short Term Rentals must meet the following requirements:
- The property (i.e. single-family dwelling, condo, etc.) must be continuously occupied as a principal residence, whether it be the owner or a tenant.
- The Short Term Rental must be located in a legal dwelling unit (e.g. a secondary suite that has received an occupancy permit).
- No more than two bedrooms on a property may be used for the Short Term Rental (i.e. 1 two-bedroom unit or 2 one-bedroom units).
- A bedroom in the Short Term Rental may not have separate or additional cooking facilities.
Business Licences Now Required to Operate a Short Term Rental
Beginning January 1, 2025, a business licence will be required to operate a Short Term Rental in Sidney and to list the rental property on an online platform. A one-year grace period until December 31, 2025 will be provided to operators who need additional time to meet Building Code or other bylaw requirements.
When you are ready to apply for a Short Term Rental business licence, download and complete the Short Term Rental Business Licence Package and Guide. Short Term Rental operators should review the zoning requirements and ensure that their unit meets all bylaw requirements prior to applying for a business licence.
Please note that Short Term Rental business licence applicants will not be invoiced for the business licence until staff have completed a preliminary review of the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
For more information on how STRs are regulated in Sidney, a list of commonly asked questions and answers is provided below.
A Short Term Rental refers to the commercial rental of a dwelling unit (i.e. single-family home, condo, townhouse, etc.) which provides accommodation for a period of less than 90 days to the travelling public.
Typically, bookings are made through the internet, on websites such as Airbnb and Vacation Rental By Owner (Vrbo).
Due to the extremely low rental vacancy rate in Greater Victoria and Sidney in particular, it is likely that the use of dwelling units for Short Term Rentals are affecting the availability and affordability of long term rental units.
In early 2024, Council directed staff to amend the Business Licence Bylaw to require a business licence to operate a Short Term Rental within the Town of Sidney.
At the November 25 2024, Council meeting, the amendment to the Business Licence Bylaw was adopted. Short Term Rentals will continue to be regulated by the requirements of Section 4.1.11 of the Town’s Zoning Bylaw.
The bylaw allows STRs within the areas designated as Neighbourhood Residential, Intensive Neighbourhood Residential, Multi-Unit Residential, West Sidney Mixed-Use Village, and Downtown Commercial on Map 1 of the Town of Sidney Official Community Plan.
- View Town of Sidney Official Community Plan Map
While Sidney’s bylaw regulations allow Short Term Rentals to operate within a condo, apartment or townhouse, the owner or strata council for the building have the final say on whether to allow this. In order to be approved for a Business Licence to operate a Short Term Rental in a strata building, the strata council must sign a form approving the use, in addition to all other requirements.
Condo owners should consult their building’s strata council and bylaws, while long term tenants who wish to operate a Short Term Rental should contact their unit’s owner or consult their tenancy agreement to confirm that they are permitted to operate a Short Term Rental. It is your responsibility to ensure that a Short Term Rental complies with all strata bylaws, in addition to Town of Sidney bylaws.
A renter may stay in an Short Term Rental for a period of up to 31 days.
No. Existing Short Term Rentals located outside of a permitted area were never considered legal and as such are not permitted to continue operation under the bylaw.
An annual $200 business licence fee is required to operate a Short Term Rental. It should be noted that operators of a Short Term Rental may also be subject to provincial or federal taxes based upon income earned from their Short Term Rental operation.