Prices in

Local Airbnb rules2026 22 sources cited

Is Airbnb Legal in Saanich? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Saanich prohibits short-term rentals of under 30 nights in every zone; residents can host only as a licensed bed and breakfast ($100 a year) in their own home. A 120-night rule is planned for 2027 but is not in force.^7,8,12,14

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

From 21 official sources and 1 Airbnb help page, checked October 17, 2026. Not legal advice.

The short answer

Saanich Airbnb Rules in Brief

Short-term rentals of under 30 nights are prohibited in all zones, including a whole home, a secondary suite and a garden suite.
A bed and breakfast licence costs $100 a year and covers rooms in the home you live in, with breakfast provided and no more than 40 m2 or 20% of the floor area used for guest sleeping space.
Provincial registration is also required ($100 a year plus a $1.50 service fee), and both numbers go on the listing.
Council directed bylaws for up to 120 nights per property per year in July 2026; they are not in force until adopted, expected from early 2027.

Browse the live Saanich Airbnb market Search by revenue, occupancy and neighborhood on an interactive map See Every Saanich Listing

Revenue, occupancy and nightly rates are in the Saanich Airbnb market report .

At a glance

Saanich Airbnb Rules at a Glance

Licence required: Yes
Taxes on a stay: 15%
Fine for hosting without a permit: C$10,000
Listings showing a permit number: 81%
Latest rule change: Jul 6, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to October 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or licence is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

The rules a Saanich host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.

Saanich Airbnb Rules at a Glance
Topic	Rule
Permit	A bed and breakfast licence is the only route^7,12
Who can host	Short-term rentals are not permitted^6,8
Where	Zoning omits the use in every residential zone^1,7
Building rules	A strata can ban short-term rentals by bylaw¹⁹
Minimum stay	A stay of under 30 consecutive nights is short-term^1,6
Guests	Guest sleeping space is capped at 40 m2 or 20% of floor area^1,7
Listing display	Show the business licence number on the listing^8,16
Platforms	Platforms must remove listings at the District's request^8,16
Safety	Hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms⁷
Neighbours	No noise detectable outside the home¹

Your home

Can You Host an Airbnb in Saanich? It Depends on the Home

Whether you can host in Saanich turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.

Your own home, rented whole while you are away

Not allowed

Not allowed. Renting the principal dwelling unit for under 30 nights is prohibited in every zone, and a bed and breakfast licence covers only rooms in the home you live in.^6,8

A room in the home you live in

Allowed with conditions

Allowed as a licensed bed and breakfast: $100 a year to the District plus the provincial registration, breakfast included, guest sleeping space of no more than 40 m2 or 20% of the floor area, 0.5 parking spaces per guest bedroom and the fire checklist.^1,7,14

A second home or investment property

Not allowed

Not allowed. A bed and breakfast must be the applicant's principal residence, and the province also limits short-term rentals in Saanich to a principal residence plus one suite.^7,15

A secondary suite or garden suite

Not allowed

Not allowed for stays of under 30 nights, and no bed and breakfast licence is issued for suites. Renting a suite for 30 days or more is a long-term rental needing no Saanich licence, though the province still requires registration for stays under 90 days.^1,6,7

A condo, strata or rented home

Allowed with conditions

The same bed and breakfast rules apply, and the strata bylaws or the lease can still ban it. A strata can fine an owner up to $1,000 a day.^7,19

A stay of 30 nights or longer

Allowed

Allowed. Stays of 30 days or more are long-term rentals that need no Saanich business licence, but the province's registry still applies to stays of under 90 days.^6,14

Permit

Do You Need a Permit for Airbnb in Saanich?

Yes. Short-term rental hosts in Saanich need the Bed and breakfast business licence and BC short-term rental registration from the District of Saanich Business Licence Division (licence); Province of British Columbia Short-Term Rental Branch (registration). It costs C$201.50 in the first year (A resident running a bed and breakfast pays the District $100 a year and the province $101.50 a year ($100 plus the $1.50 service fee), $201.50 in all. A new Saanich licence applied for after 31 July costs half.) and C$201.50 a year to renew.^7,8,12,14

Who needs it: Residents who live in the home for most of the year and rent rooms to guests with breakfast included. No licence exists for renting a whole home, a suite, a garden suite or a second property for under 30 nights, because that use is prohibited in every zone.^7,8,12,14
Issued by: District of Saanich Business Licence Division (licence); Province of British Columbia Short-Term Rental Branch (registration)
Valid for: The Saanich licence runs from 1 January to 31 December and renews automatically each 1 January. The provincial registration lasts one year and is renewed annually.
On listings: The number must appear on every listing
Platform checks: Hosts must show a valid business licence number on the listing, and a platform must remove a listing without one at the District's request. Platforms also validate the provincial registration number against the registry.

Fees

Fees
Fee	Amount	When
Saanich bed and breakfast licence (home-based business)$100 a year for the 1 January to 31 December licence year. A new licence applied for after 31 July is reduced by half, and fees are not refunded.	CA$100	annual
BC registration, bedrooms in the home where you live$100 a year for bedrooms in the home where you live.	CA$100	annual
BC registration service fee$1.50 added to each registration fee.	CA$1.50	annual

Who qualifies

The home must be the applicant's principal residence, where the applicant lives for the majority of the calendar year.
Guests stay in rooms of the home and the room rate includes breakfast provided on the premises.
No more than 40 m2 (430 sq. ft.) or 20% of the combined floor area of all structures on the lot, whichever is less, can be used for guest sleeping space.
Secondary suites, garden suites and accessory buildings cannot be licensed.
The home needs smoke alarms in every bedroom and hallway, a 5-lb fire extinguisher, bedroom egress, no second kitchen and at least 0.5 parking spaces per guest bedroom.
The applicant submits a valid photo ID and proof of address.

How to apply

Check that the home is your principal residence and that the guest rooms meet the 40 m2 or 20% floor-area limit, the parking requirement and the fire and building checklist on Saanich's bed and breakfast page.
Complete the District's Bed and Breakfast Business Licence Application and submit it with a valid photo ID and proof of address to the Business Licence Division; planning, building inspection and fire staff review it.
Register the rooms with the BC short-term rental registry and pay the $100 fee plus the $1.50 service fee.
Show the Saanich business licence number and the provincial registration number on every listing.

Applications go through the official application page .

Permit rules

A bed and breakfast licence is the only route: Saanich permits bed and breakfasts as a home occupation in certain zones. The licence costs $100 a year and renews automatically each 1 January.^7,12
Show the business licence number on the listing: Bed and breakfast hosts must display a valid business licence number on their listing. If a listing lacks one, the platform must remove it at the District's request.^8,16
Register with the province and show the number: Short-term rental hosts must register with the provincial registry and display the provincial registration number on every listing, in addition to the Saanich business licence number.¹⁴ In force since May 1, 2025
Platforms must remove listings at the District's request: If a listing does not comply with a business licence requirement, the short-term rental platform must remove it at the request of the local government.^8,16

Who can host

Who Can Host an Airbnb in Saanich, and Where

British Columbia state law applies on top of Saanich's own rules: the British Columbia short-term rental regulations page covers the state licence and what cities and counties can and can't regulate.

Short-term rentals are not permitted: Short-term rentals that are not a licensed bed and breakfast or tourist accommodation are not permitted in Saanich. The prohibition applies in all zones and housing types.^6,8
No renting your whole home or a self-contained unit: Renting the principal dwelling unit or any self-contained dwelling unit for short stays is not permitted, even when the owner lives there and is away.⁶
Zoning omits the use in every residential zone: Saanich achieves the prohibition by leaving short-term rental out of the permitted uses of every residential zone. Zoning Bylaw 8200 also bars it expressly in garden suites.^1,7
Guests stay in rooms and breakfast is included: A bed and breakfast is a home occupation providing temporary accommodation in sleeping units of a dwelling unit, where the room rate includes breakfast provided on the premises.¹
The home must be your principal residence: Only principal residences, where the applicant lives for the majority of the calendar year, can be licensed. Only residents of the dwelling unit can run a home occupation, and a company cannot count as a resident.^1,7
No licence for suites, garden suites or other homes: A bed and breakfast cannot operate in a secondary suite, a garden suite or another home that is not the owner's primary residence.^6,7
The provincial principal residence requirement also applies: Saanich is on the province's list of communities where short-term rentals are limited to the host's principal residence plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit. The District's own prohibition is stricter.^11,15 In force since May 1, 2024
The province lets a bed and breakfast continue if the owner lives there: The provincial principal residence requirement applies to bed and breakfasts, which may continue to operate if the owner lives on the property. A bed and breakfast is generally a room in the host's home without its own kitchen.¹⁵
A strata can ban short-term rentals by bylaw: Strata corporations can limit or ban short-term rentals and fine owners up to $1,000 a day, regardless of provincial or District rules.¹⁹

Operating rules

Operating Rules for Saanich Short-Term Rentals

A stay of under 30 consecutive nights is short-term: Zoning Bylaw 8200 defines a short-term rental as renting a dwelling unit or sleeping units for under 30 consecutive days. Renting a room or suite for 30 days or more is a long-term rental that needs no Saanich business licence.^1,6
Guest sleeping space is capped at 40 m2 or 20% of floor area: No more than 40 m2 or 20% of the combined floor area of all structures on the lot, whichever is less, can be used for guest bedrooms. Common areas, kitchens and outdoor space do not count.^1,7
Half a parking space per guest bedroom: At least 0.5 parking spaces must be available on the property for each bedroom used for guests.⁷
Hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms: Smoke alarms are required in all sleeping rooms and in the hallways on every level, hardwired and interconnected. Carbon monoxide alarms are required where the house has an attached garage or a fuel-fired appliance.⁷
Fire extinguisher and bedroom egress: A 5-lb multi-purpose dry chemical extinguisher (3A-10BC) must be mounted near the exit. Every sleeping room needs a window or exterior door that opens from the inside without keys or tools.⁷
No second kitchen: A second kitchen is not permitted for bed and breakfast use under the BC Building Code.⁷
No noise detectable outside the home: A home occupation, including a bed and breakfast, cannot create noise that is detectable from outside the premises.¹
Provincial registration covers stays under 90 days: The province treats any rental of under 90 consecutive days as a short-term rental that must be registered, so a 30-night or longer rental in Saanich still needs a provincial registration even though it needs no Saanich business licence.^6,19
No grandfathering for existing rentals: Legal non-conforming use protection no longer applies to short-term rentals, so a rental that began before the prohibition cannot continue because it operated earlier.¹⁶
Enforcement is mainly complaint-driven: Saanich responds to bylaw breaches mainly on complaints, though some matters are investigated proactively on staff, police or agency observations.¹³

Taxes

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Saanich?

About 15% on the nightly price and cleaning fee (5% GST, 8% PST and a 2% MRDT).

15% in all

How the 15% on a Saanich stay splits between the taxes in the table below

Median nightly rate, booked nights: CA$155
Taxes on that night (15%): CA$23
Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees: CA$178

How Much Are Airbnb Taxes in Saanich?
Tax	Rate	Collected by
Goods and Services Tax (GST) 5% of the nightly price and cleaning fee for stays of 30 nights or fewer	5%²²	Airbnb
Provincial Sales Tax (PST) on accommodation 8% of the price, including cleaning fees, for stays of 26 nights or fewer	8%^18,22	Airbnb
Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) 2% of the price in the District of Saanich, collected on stays of 26 nights or fewer	2%^5,22	Airbnb

Total on a stay 15% · All by Airbnb

At Saanich's median booked rate of CA$155 a night, the taxes collected on a booking come to about CA$23 a night.

What the host still handles

A Saanich bed and breakfast business licence and a provincial short-term rental registration number before listing.
A BC PST account (which also covers the MRDT) if you also take bookings outside a platform that collects the tax, such as through your own website.
A GST/HST account once taxable sales pass the $30,000 small supplier threshold; Airbnb collects GST on behalf of hosts who are not registered.^5,18,20,22

Fines

How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Saanich

Fines in Saanich fall on hosting without the approvals described above, or outside the rules. With them in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.

Hosts who operate without registering, or who breach the provincial principal residence requirement, face administrative penalties of up to $5,000 for a first contravention, $7,500 for a second and $10,000 for a third or later; the province describes host penalties as running per day, per infraction.^4,17
Not showing a valid registration number on a listing carries provincial penalties of up to $500 for a first contravention, $750 for a second and $1,000 for a third or later.⁴
A Saanich bylaw notice for using property for a use the zoning does not permit carries a $150 penalty, reduced by $50 if received within 14 days and increased by $50 if received more than 28 days after the notice.²
Carrying on a business without a Saanich business licence carries a $150 bylaw notice penalty, and a conviction under the Business Licence Bylaw is a fine of not less than $150.^2,3
A person convicted of breaking the Zoning Bylaw faces a fine of not less than $150, and each day an infraction continues is a separate offence.¹
Municipalities can seek fines of up to $50,000 when a bylaw offence is prosecuted in court, the same maximum the province set for regional districts.¹⁶
The most a municipality can set for a bylaw ticket is $3,000 per infraction, per day, up from $1,000.¹⁶
A strata corporation can fine an owner or resident up to $1,000 a day for breaking its short-term rental bylaw.¹⁹

Changes

What's Changed in Saanich's Airbnb Rules, and What's Next

One change is scheduled after November 4, 2026; the most recent rules are listed first.

January 2027 Proposed
Bylaws for up to 120 nights a year expected before Council
Staff are drafting bylaws to regulate short-term rentals for up to 120 nights per property per year, and the work is expected to come to Council in early 2027. The new rules do not take effect until Council adopts the bylaws, and the prohibition stays in force until then.^6,9
July 6, 2026
Council directs staff to draft rules for up to 120 nights a year
After considering options at the 27 April, 15 June and 6 July 2026 meetings, Council directed staff to develop bylaws for short-term rentals of up to 120 nights per property per year. The District announced the direction on 8 July 2026.⁹
April 27, 2026
Council asks for Victoria's approach and makes no decision
Staff presented options on 27 April 2026, and Council asked for information on the City of Victoria's approach to regulating short-term rentals. The District stated that Council had not decided on an approach and had not directed bylaws.¹⁰
June 2, 2025
Platforms must remove listings without a valid registration number
From 2 June 2025 platforms must stop advertising listings without a valid provincial registration number and prevent new bookings from that host, and from 23 June 2025 they must cancel future bookings.²¹
May 1, 2025
Provincial registration number must appear on listings
Hosts had to display their provincial registration number on their listings by 1 May 2025, together with a local business licence number where the local government requires one.¹⁴
May 1, 2024
Provincial principal residence requirement starts; Saanich unaffected
The province's new rules took effect on 1 May 2024. Saanich stated that they did not change anything locally because short-term rentals were already not permitted in any zone.¹¹

Earnings

What Could a Saanich Short-Term Rental Earn?

The rules shape the numbers: a licence that costs C$201.50 in the first year and taxes of 15% that Airbnb adds to guests' bills. For a specific address, the Airbnb profit calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.

Estimate what a Saanich home could earn

FAQ

Saanich Airbnb Rules: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in Saanich?

Mostly no. Short-term rentals of under 30 nights are prohibited in every zone, and the only route is a licensed bed and breakfast in the home you live in.^1,6,8

Do I need a permit for Airbnb in Saanich?

Yes. Hosting guests needs a District of Saanich bed and breakfast business licence and a provincial short-term rental registration number, and both numbers go on the listing.^7,14

How much is the licence?

The Saanich bed and breakfast licence is $100 a year, and the provincial registration is $100 a year plus a $1.50 service fee, $201.50 in all (Canadian dollars). A new Saanich licence applied for after 31 July costs half.^7,12,14

Can I rent out a home I do not live in?

No. A bed and breakfast licence is limited to the applicant's principal residence, and the province also limits short-term rentals in Saanich to a principal residence plus one suite.^7,15

Can I rent my whole home on Airbnb while I am away?

No. Short-term rental of the principal dwelling unit or any self-contained unit is not permitted, and a bed and breakfast covers only rooms in the home you live in.^6,8

Can I list a secondary suite or garden suite?

Not for stays of under 30 nights, and no bed and breakfast licence is issued for suites. A suite rented for 30 days or more is a long-term rental that needs no Saanich licence.^1,6,7

What are the limits on a bed and breakfast?

Breakfast must be provided, guest sleeping space is capped at 40 m2 or 20% of the floor area, and the home needs 0.5 parking spaces per guest bedroom, hardwired smoke alarms and a fire extinguisher. There is no second kitchen.^1,7

Will Saanich allow short-term rentals?

Possibly. In July 2026 Council directed staff to draft bylaws allowing up to 120 nights per property per year, expected before Council in early 2027, and nothing changes until the bylaws are adopted.^6,9

Does Airbnb collect hotel tax in Saanich?

Yes. Airbnb collects the 8% provincial sales tax and the 2% Municipal and Regional District Tax on stays of 26 nights or shorter, plus 5% GST for hosts who are not registered.^5,18,22

How much tax do guests pay on a Saanich stay?

About 15% of the price including the cleaning fee: 5% GST, 8% PST and a 2% MRDT.^5,18,22

What is the fine for hosting without a licence?

A Saanich bylaw notice for an unpermitted use is $150, and a conviction carries a fine of not less than $150 with each day a separate offence. Hosts who do not register face provincial penalties of $5,000 to $10,000 a contravention.^1,2,4

Do I have to show my licence number on my Airbnb listing?

Yes. Bed and breakfast hosts must display a valid business licence number, and the provincial registration number must also appear. A platform must remove a listing without a valid number at the District's request.^8,14

How many Saanich Airbnbs are registered?

In AirROI's listing data, 81% of the 273 Saanich Airbnb listings active in the 12 months to October 2026 displayed a permit, licence or registration number. A number on a listing shows the host entered one; it doesn't confirm the permit is valid.

How much does an Airbnb make in Saanich?

The average Saanich listing earned CA$36,200 in the 12 months to October 2026, according to AirROI, averaged across every active listing including those booked for only part of the year. The Saanich Airbnb market report breaks it down by month, property size and neighborhood.

Method

How These Rules Were Checked

Each rule on this page was checked in October 2026 against the official source cited beside it: the ordinance or statute, the permit office's own pages and the tax authority. Airbnb's help pages are cited on their own only for what Airbnb itself does, such as the taxes it collects and the permit checks it runs, and otherwise only beside an official source; news reports only for when a change was announced. Rules that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out. The District of Saanich showed a general-election notice page in place of its web pages on 17 October 2026, so those pages were read with a session cookie that passes the notice; the Internet Archive copy of the Short-Term Rentals and Bed and Breakfast pages matched.

Rules change with council votes, court rulings and new state laws, so the page is rechecked every three months and whenever a scheduled change takes effect. It summarizes the rules for information and is not legal advice; the local authority has the final word on any application.

Listing figures come from AirROI's tracking of 273 active Saanich Airbnb listings over the 12 months to October 2026.

Sources

Each rule above links to the source it comes from. Official ordinances, statutes and government pages come first, then Airbnb's own help pages.

1. Zoning Bylaw 8200 · District of Saanich
2. Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2018, No. 9525 · District of Saanich
3. Business Licence Bylaw, 2002, No. 8213 · District of Saanich
4. Short-Term Rental Accommodations Regulation (B.C. Reg. 268/2023), Schedule 4 · BC Laws, King's Printer
5. Designated Accommodation Area Tax Regulation (B.C. Reg. 93/2013) · BC Laws, King's Printer
6. Short-Term Rentals · District of Saanich
7. Bed and Breakfast Licence · District of Saanich
8. Business Licence Application: Bed and Breakfast · District of Saanich
9. Short-term Rentals (STR) Update, 8 July 2026 · District of Saanich
10. Short-term Rentals (STR) Update, 1 May 2026 · District of Saanich
11. Provincial Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, Saanich not affected · District of Saanich
12. Business licence fees · District of Saanich
13. Complaint process · District of Saanich
14. Register as a host · Province of British Columbia
15. B.C.'s short-term rental principal residence requirement · Province of British Columbia
16. B.C.'s short-term rental legislation · Province of British Columbia
17. New rules take effect to rein in short-term rentals, deliver more homes · BC Gov News
18. PST and MRDT on accommodation · Province of British Columbia
19. Strata short-term rental bylaws · Province of British Columbia
20. When to register for and start charging the GST/HST · Canada Revenue Agency
21. Province moving forward on short-term rental rules · BC Gov News
22. Tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Canada · Airbnb Help Centre