Short Term Rental Project

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The City is seeking to complete an update to its Short Term Rental regulations. This section of TalkRevelstoke will inform you of key upcoming dates on things like Council meeting and public engagement as it relates to the Short Term Rental Project. In addition, check out the "Short Term Rental Documents" section of this page to stay up to date with things like Council reports, presentations, and other pertinent documents related to Short Term Rental.

As the project moves into Phase 2, the City wishes to extend its appreciation to all community members who participated in the public survey that closed March 31, 2025. In total, 517 individuals completed the survey, with the vast majority being permanent residents of Revelstoke. The results of the survey have been posted to the documents section of this page. Staff will now compile the findings and present them to Council on April 22, 2025. Staff will be requesting direction from Council at this meeting to establish a project goal. After the goal is established, staff will prepare policy scenarios to achieve this goal, and analyze the implications to the community under each scenario.

Looking for more information? Sign up for email updates, review the contents of this page, and signup for the City’s weekly newsletter. If you have done all of this and are still keen to learn more, please contact the project manager by emailing str@revelstoke.ca

In a Hurry? Here is What You Need to Know!

The City is completing a review of its Short Term Rental regulatory framework and needs feedback from the community!

Short Term Rental refers to the use of a dwelling unit on a temporary basis (less than 30 days at any one time) for the financial benefit of the property owner to provide accommodation to the traveling public. Short Term Rental differs from a Bed and Breakfast in that a Short Term Rental involves the renting of an entire dwelling unit (whether that’s a single-detached home, condo, or secondary suite), whereas a Bed and Breakfast involves renting rooms within a single-detached home that is occupied by a principal resident.

Revelstoke updated its Short Term Rental regulations in April 2022, clarifying where this use is permitted, expanding allowances in the downtown area and Hay Road area. In October 2023, the Province of BC enacted the Short Term Rental Accommodations Act, giving municipalities more tools to regulate Short Term Rental. In October 2024, Council directed staff to review potential updates to the City’s existing Short Term Rental regulations in light of the new legislation. Through 2025, staff will work to complete public engagement, research with other municipalities in BC, and economic analysis guide any potential bylaw changes. The general phasing of the project is outlined below:

Overview of the Project

The City of Revelstoke is completing a comprehensive review of its Short Term Rental regulations. The project is anticipated to take approximately 12 months to complete and will be using internal resources at the City with some external consultant support to complete an economic analysis.

The scope of the STR review includes:

• Review of existing STR regulations to identify complexities that can be streamlined;
• Review of options to regulate STR with a focus on regulations for whole home rentals and those where they are operated by a permanent resident onsite operator, accounting for recent changes introduced by the Province through Bill 35;
• Public engagement to inform the community of the new provincial legislation, existing STR regulations, and to gather feedback on what the desired intent of STRs; and
• Review options for regulating STR and present to Council for feedback to be embedded via bylaw.

The objectives of the project include:

• Improve community understanding of the existing Short Term Rental regulatory framework, the provincial legislation, as well as the implications for opting into the permanent residency requirement.
• Provide objective information to council and the community on the implications associated with significant restrictions on STR including but not limited to opting into the permanent residency requirement under the Short Term Rental Accommodations Act.
• Establish a clear objective of what the community is seeking to achieve by updating Short Term Rental regulations.
• Create a more clear and comprehensive STR regulatory framework in Revelstoke.

How will the public be engaged?

The public engagement strategy is multi-faceted for this project. Staff have developed a project management plan that allows for ample time for the community to provide feedback at key milestones. Below provides specific details and the estimated timing of major public engagement events. While the intent is to follow the engagement process as shown below, these tactics and specific timing of events may be subject to change as the project progresses to ensure that the community has sufficient time to be informed and work with staff to provide feedback. Staff will update TalkRevelstoke should there be any changes to the engagement strategy or timing. In addition to the items below, the City will use the community newsletter, social media, mailouts, newspaper advertisements, Committee of the Whole updates, online surveys, online Q & As, and the Mayor’s YouTube videos to increase awareness about the project and key events.

1. February 26, 2025: Initial Public Information Meeting that will be held in-person at the Revelstoke Community & Aquatic Centre, MP3 Room (600 Campbell Avenue) as well as online. This meeting was livestreamed provided opportunity for the community to become informed about the project, understand the key milestones and engagement activities, and to ask questions. The meeting can be viewed on the City of Revelstoke Youtube page.
2. February – March 2025: Initial community survey to gather high level feedback about what the community is seeking to achieve by regulating Short Term Rental in Revelstoke.
3. May – July 2025: Targeted stakeholder engagement with operators, hoteliers, tourist accommodation industry, City commissions etc. Depending on level of interest, broader community engagement may occur during this time as well, and community surveys as needed.
4. September – October 2025: Community engagement through Public Information Meetings, surveys (as needed) to gauge support for draft bylaw amendments in advance of formal Council consideration.