In 2020, the City of Calgary introduced a requirement that people wanting to use their property as a short-term rental had to obtain a business licence from the City. On June 6, 2023, the City passed an amendment to the “Business License Bylaw” relating to how short-term rental businesses, such as AirBnb’s or VRBO’s are operated. In addition to including new obligations to provide a fire safety plan and some floor plan-related requirements, the City has also implemented a condition that for all short-term rental businesses operating within a condominium corporation, the applicant for a business licence must provide proof of the condominium board’s consent for the unit, or part thereof, to be used as a short-term rental. The new rules come into effect on January 1, 2024. This will make it harder to receive a business licence for short-term renting in condominiums, and give condominium boards more power to approve or deny these business licence requests.
Further details can be found in the City of Calgary press release.
For assistance with any condominium matter, please contact Dionne Levesque, John McDougall, Kate Kozowyk, Stuart Gray, or Kendra Barlow.