Buildings Located In Vancouver That Allow Airbnb & Other Short-Term Rentals

Please note that this list is here as a helpful guide to finding buildings that currently allow Airbnb & other short-term rentals. The City of Vancouver defines short-term rentals as rentals under 30 days. A word of caution: even if a building currently allows short-term rentals, strata bylaws can be voted on and quickly change in the future. This list may become out of date without my knowledge, and therefore it is extremely imperative to double-check the latest bylaws before making an offer on an Airbnb building. Do not under any circumstances rely solely on this list. 

There are also bylaws from the City of Vancouver that you must follow and it is essential to learn about these bylaws before buying a property you intend to use for short-term rentals. I have paraphrased these bylaws near the end of this post. As per the COV Bylaws: “A short-term rental can only be operated from your principal residence – the home where you live.”

To the very best of my knowledge, this list is up-to-date as of June 4, 2023.  This list may not reflect buildings that are currently changing or have very recently changed their short-term rental bylaws. Some buildings are also more friendly to short-term rentals than other buildings. Once again, to ensure that the building still allows short-term rentals, please double-check the building bylaws and strata council minutes before purchasing, or please contact me!

Note: even if you purchase into any of these buildings, if you do not follow the City of Vancouver bylaws around primary residency, you will find yourself in legal and/or tax trouble sooner or later!

This is one of the most complex parts of the Vancouver real estate market. Make sure to hire a short-term rental expert. 

• 180 E 2nd Avenue (Second + Main) - NEW

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023.

  • Originally added Jan 5, 2023. This was previously not included as I was trying to compile more information. March 2022 minutes clearly state that STR is allowed at the present time. Though as a fairly new building (completed Sept 2021), there is a moderate probability that sometime in the near future the bylaws may change.

• 350 E 2nd Avenue (Mainspace)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Zoned IC-3, which is a type of zoning that allows for light industrial uses, though you still need to follow COV primary residency requirements

• 250 E 6th Avenue (District)

  • Last confirmed March 21, 2023. No specific building bylaws restricting STRs. Also zoned IC-3 (see above). 

• 289 E 6th Avenue (Shine)

  • Last confirmed March 21, 2023. Also zoned IC-3 (see above). Specific building bylaws that allow for STRs with a $300/year admin charge. 

• 311 E 6th Avenue (The Wohlsein)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Also zoned IC-3 (see above). I see no building bylaws that prevent STRs, though there was a rule ratified in the 2019 AGM that said owners must be in compliance with the City’s bylaws to operate STRs in the building (i.e. giving a clear avenue to allow for STRs in this building). You’ll get mixed information if you ask the strata manager, though there is nothing in the bylaws that lets this building restrict STRs here.

• 555 Abbott Street & 183 Keefer Place (Paris Place)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023, though certainly a lower level of “friendly” than most on this list. The building has a very broad bylaw allowing STRs written in their bylaws. That being said, the strata council is overall against Airbnb and sent a notice dated Sept 14, 2021, saying they’d report violators of the COV’s bylaws. See here.

• 618 Abbott Street, 688 Abbott Street & 58 Keefer Place (Firenze)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. No specific bylaw saying one cannot have short-term rentals (i.e. it is currently okay under the bylaws). This strata has a short-term rental approval letter on file that can be sent to the City of Vancouver. To my knowledge, this is the only Vancouver building that has such a letter. Because of this, the City of Vancouver's approval is very straightforward. Here is a link to the rental bylaw, as of Oct 7, 2019. 

  • Update Feb 9, 2022 - This building’s water damage deductible is currently one of the highest in the city at $750,000. This means a very high cost for insurance if you can get full coverage at all (I am not aware of any providers that cover more than $500,000).

• 633 Abbott Street, 689 Abbott Street & 188 Keefer Place (Espana)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. This building has a short-term bylaw in place that specifically permits short-term rentals. Here is a link to the short-term rental bylaws. You still need to follow the City of Vancouver bylaws though.

• 890 Broughton Street

  • Small 5-unit condo building. I’ve heard through the grapevine that this building allows STRs, though since it’s so small, the last sale was in 2018 and there is no easy way for me to check until a new listing becomes available.

• 1003 Burnaby Street (The Milano)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023 - A stricter building that barely makes this list, though the bylaws do allow short-term rentals while an owner is on vacation (see bylaw 3.1.g). Here is a link to the rental bylaws as of Jan 13, 2022. In particular, bylaw 3.1(g). If you intend to rent out your condo for more than about 15-30 days a year, do not consider this option.

• 1050 Burrard (The Wall Centre)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023.

  • Update during the AGM on October 28, 2021. There was a 3/4 vote to limit rentals to 90 days; this resolution was defeated (i.e. STRs still allowed). Clearly, this building has lots of pushback against STRs, so there is a moderate risk building of things changing in the future or the strata trying to enforce other rules to prevent them. If you’re an owner in this building, I’d love to have a chat with you about how to make this a stronger voting margin.

• 1160 Burrard Street (Burrard Health)

  • Last confirmed May 8, 2023 - No specific bylaw saying one cannot have short-term rentals (i.e. it is currently okay under the bylaws). It is a unique condo investment in Vancouver as the top two floors contain townhouse-style residential condos and a courtyard while most of the building is dedicated to medical offices. There are just 8 condos in the residential side of this building, and to my knowledge, no airbnbs, so the bylaws may change in the future.

• 1238 Burrard Street (Altadena)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023.

• 370 Carrall Street (21 Doors)

  • Last confirmed November 23, 2022. This building is in a very rough area, so not at all ideal for Airbnb guests. It’s on my list as it fits Airbnb criteria, though it is definitely not a recommended building. Some fees are associated with STRs in this building. There was a vote to ban STRs in 2019 that did not pass. Unlikely any vote would pass given prior voting history. I see notes of a 3-night minimum in some past MLS listings, though unclear if this is enforced.

• 1010 Chilco Street (The Chilco Park)

  • Last confirmed May 2, 2023. Small 44-unit building, so new listings tend to be rare. No rental restrictions, though no specific STR bylaws. High likelihood of strata bylaws changing in the near future.

• 1788 Columbia Street (Epic at West)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. No rental restrictions, though no specific STR bylaws. Confirmed with the strata manager that owners adhering to the City of Vancouver STR bylaws are good to go as far as this building is concerned.

• 55 E Cordova Street (Koret Lofts) 

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. 7-day minimum rental period, which is clearly more restrictive than many other options. Some pretty cool condos in this building.

• 2040 Cornwall Avenue (Bryanston Court)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Minutes dated October 13, 2022 show approval of two owners for STR purposes.

• 219 E Georgia Street (The Flats)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. No rental restrictions, though no specific STR bylaws. 29-unit trendy building built in 2014 in an up-and-coming area. No parking in this building, though there is a commercial parkade next door as a high-priced, easily accessible, paid parking alternative. As recently as June 8, 2022, there was a request and approval in the minutes for a STR permission letter from the strata council (depending on when you read this, there may even be a more recent approval than that).

• 1249 Granville Street (The Lex)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. A rental building until 2021 that was stratified when it was built in 2003 and entirely owned by 1 owner. In 2021 this owner decided to sell and removed any rental restrictions from the bylaws. My understanding is that it was largely sold to investors and STR purchasers.

• 933, 955, & 983 E Hastings Street (Strathcona Village)

  • Last confirmed May 2023. I have relatively little info about the inner workings of this building, particularly just how friendly this building is to STRs or not.

• 1010 Howe Street (Fortune House)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. There are no rental restrictions in this building, though there are also none that specifically outline STR bylaws. One listing agent of a recent sale claims that the strata have never restricted anyone from Airbnb, though this information is difficult to verify. Overall, it appears to be very STR friendly. 

• 718 Main Street (Ginger)

  • Last confirmed May 2023. Building bylaw states if you live in the building 6 months out of the year, you can Airbnb it the other 6 months.

• 1166 Melville Street (Orca Place).

  • Last confirmed April 2023. I have heard unverified information that the strata council has council members that run Airbnbs.

• 989 Nelson Street (Electra)

  • Update AGM May 31, 2023: A bylaw governing STRs passed at the AGM. This bylaw requires owners to live in the building for 3 months prior to applying to the council for STR permission + $500/year. Guests can use amenities.

  • One of the best and most profitable buildings for STR. Your Airbnb reviews will be excellent as this building has a beautiful lobby, 3-high speed elevators, air-conditioning, and a great location. No parking in the building, though monthly parking options less than a block away.

• 28 Powell Street (Powell Lane)

  • Last confirmed Nov 15, 2022. Small 26-unit building. To the best of my knowledge, STRs are allowed since no rental restrictions, though no specific STR strata bylaw in place. Some past listings note 30 days per annum that you are allowed to Airbnb, which needs further research.

• 933 Seymour Street (The Spot)

  • Last confirmed June 4, 2023.

• 1372 Seymour Street (The Mark) 

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Bylaws specifically allow for Airbnb. Does not allow tenants to Airbnb. Also, short-term rental tenants are not allowed to use the amenities. A recent vote to ban Airbnb did not pass, solidifying the Mark’s continuation as an Airbnb-friendly building.

• 919 Station Street (The Left Bank)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Strata passed a bylaw in 2021 that allows owners the ability to do short-term rentals for up to 120 days in a year.

• 928 Richards Street (The Savoy)

  • Last confirmed May 2, 2023. A great Airbnb-friendly building, with specific bylaws allowing STRs. I recommend not applying as soon as you move in, as this makes it suspicious that you might not actually be living there. I’ve seen the strata reject STR requests in the past claiming they believe that it’s an investor unit.

• 231 E Pender Street (Framework)

  • Last confirmed Oct 28, 2021. Allows STRs, though only for a maximum of 10 days per calendar month. Update June 2, 2023, no recent listings have mentioned Airbnb, so I have a feeling this may have recently changed.

• 33 W Pender Street (33 Living)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. Smaller building of 63 condos.

• 2458 York Avenue (York Avenue)

  • Last confirmed June 2, 2023. A small, walk-up in building in Kitsilano consisting of 12 condos. This building was operated as a rental apartment building prior to 2018; all the condos were sold off to individual owners between 2018 and early 2022. 

If you are aware of incorrect information regarding any of the above properties or know of additions to this list, please send me an email. In particular, I love to hear how things are going in the less well-known, smaller, STR buildings on my list. 

Above And Beyond My Typical Realtor® Services, There Are Several Key Things I Do For My Clients:

• Provide estimated revenue for your prospective purchase. I do this using AirDNA, which is a paid tool for checking estimated revenue, occupancy rates, and average nightly rates for specific buildings.

• • Comprehensive Pro-Forma analysis for your purchase. 

  • Research current market trends and statistics specifically related to square footage, bedrooms, and the sub-areas. Lots of fun information to look at!

  • Create building-specific searches so you will be notified when a new listing in an Airbnb-friendly building becomes available.

  • Give you tips for running a successful Airbnb/Short-Term Rental. 

  • Keep extremely up-to-date on changes to Vancouver Airbnb buildings and maintain a knowledge far beyond that of most, if not all, other Vancouver realtors concerning Airbnb.

City Of Vancouver - Short Term Rental Information

The following information is taken directly from the City of Vancouver website:

Effective September 1, 2018, all short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a business licence and include their licence number in all online listings and advertising, or they may be subject to fines up to $1,000 per offence.

• A short-term rental can be an entire home, or a room within that home, that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time.

• A short-term rental can only be operated from your principal residence – the home where you live, as an owner or tenant, and use for bills, identification, taxes, and insurance.

• Short-term rentals are only permitted in secondary homes or basements suites if the operator lives there full time.

• All short-term rental operators must have a valid business licence and include it in all online listings and advertisements.

• Your strata bylaws or landlord must permit the use of short-term rentals in your home before you apply for a licence.

• Non-compliance may result in fines of up to $1,000 per offence.

Note from Angela: if you are in non-compliance, there is always a risk you will be ordered to shut-down your short-term rental from the COV. If you hire me as your Realtor®, I will guide you through the process to mitigate your risks. Though if you are violating the COV policies, simply put, you may lose your license no matter how much the risks are mitigated.

Costs & Applying

The short-term rental business license has an application fee of $66 + an annual fee of $109 (for 2023). 

To Learn More About Short-Term Rentals From A Licensed Realtor® And Expert In Short-Term Rentals, Please Contact Me.

Angela Judge - Real Estate Advisor with Bluewest Realty Vancouver
Email: realtorangelajudge1@gmail.com
Text or phone: (604) 787-8780.