Further to the Water Quality Advisory issued on July 7, 2026, for elevated manganese levels in the Town's drinking water system, the advisory remains in effect.
Short-term rental accommodations (STRs) can provide additional accommodation options for visitors while allowing residents to earn income from their homes. To operate a short-term rental in the Town of Osoyoos, property owners must meet both Town of Osoyoos and Province of British Columbia requirements.
Before you Apply
Before applying for a Short-Term Rental Business Licence, confirm that your property and proposed rental meet the Town's zoning requirements.
Subject to obtaining a business licence, short-term rental accommodation is permitted in:
Small-Scale Multi-Unit Residential (RS1) Zone
A "resort residential building" within the Resort Commercial (CT4) Zone
Agriculture (AG) Zone
The Town has opted into the Province of British Columbia's Principal Residence Requirement. This limits short-term rentals to a host's principal residence, and one secondary suite or one accessory dwelling unit.
In addition to obtaining a Town business licence, short-term rental hosts must register their accommodation with the Province of British Columbia's Short-Term Rental Registry.
Each short-term rental unit must be registered. Once approved, hosts receive a provincial registration number. Where a local business licence is required, hosts must include both their provincial registration number and local government business licence number on their short-term rental listings.
Provincial registration must be renewed annually. The Province charges separate registration fees, which are in addition to the Town's business licence fee.
For assistance, hosts and the general public can contact ServiceBC at 1-833-828-2240, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm Pacific time.
A valid Town of Osoyoos Business Licence is required before operating or advertising a short-term rental accommodation.
A maximum of one short-term rental or bed and breakfast operation is permitted on a property. Occupancy is limited to two guests per bedroom. The Town's application form also identifies the number of bedrooms and maximum number of guests as part of the accommodation information that must be provided.
The application fee for a short-term rental accommodation is $750. Business licences are valid until December 31 of the year in which they are issued and must be renewed annually.
Applicants must provide the information and supporting documents required by the Town, including:
Proof of Principal Residence confirming compliance with the provincial Principal Residence Requirement. The Town's application identifies examples such as a Speculation and Vacancy Tax declaration, Home Owner Grant documentation or utility bills matching the address of the business. The application also provides for a self-declaration.
Site and Parking Plan showing the location of required on-site vehicle parking.
Floor Plan of the entire building containing the proposed STR, identifying all bedrooms that will be used by guests.
Fire and Safety Plan confirming that the required safety measures are in place.
Fire Evacuation Plan to be posted inside the dwelling unit.
Additional information may be requested by the Town when reviewing an application.
You will be required to sign a statutory declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths. In doing so, you must be able to certify that all information provided in your application is complete and accurate, and that all statements made are true to the best of your knowledge. Please be advised that providing false or misleading information may result in enforcement action.
As part of the application, STR operators must certify that required safety measures have been completed. These include:
One fire extinguisher per floor, mounted in a visible location
Interconnected smoke alarms on each level
Carbon monoxide alarms where gas- or wood-fuelled appliances are present
Spark arrestors on wood-burning chimneys
Bedroom windows that meet Building Code egress requirements
Required guardrails on stairs, decks and balconies
Electrical and gas systems in good general condition
Lockable covers for hot tubs
A minimum four-foot-high fence around pools
A Fire Evacuation Plan must also be posted inside the rental and identify sleeping areas and beds, exits, evacuation routes, fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and the property's civic address.
Once a business licence has been issued, operators must continue to meet the conditions of their licence and applicable Town and provincial regulations.
Licence conditions may include:
Displaying the Town of Osoyoos Business Licence number in all advertisements
Providing the Town with contact information for the operator, an alternative local contact and/or local property management company that is available 24 hours a day to respond to nuisance complaints
Providing guests with information about maximum occupancies, parking, emergency and evacuation information, garbage and recycling, and noise considerations.
A short-term rental must not be advertised without a valid Town of Osoyoos Business Licence.
There are clear distinctions between a Short-Term Rental (STR) accommodation and a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) operation. Please review the information below to determine which model is most appropriate for your property.
Short-Term Rental Accommodation: means the use of a residential dwelling unit for the temporary commercial accommodation of paying guests for a period of less than one month, but excludes a bed and breakfast operation.
Bed and Breakfast Operations: means an occupation conducted within a principal dwelling unit, by the residents of the dwelling unit, which provides sleeping accommodations to the traveling public and may include the provision of meals for those persons using the sleeping accommodations
