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

Licence required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

18%

Yearly night cap

150 nights

Fine for hosting without a permit

C$1,000

Active Airbnb listings

1,290

Latest rule change

Jun 1, 2026

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Anyone who rents a house, condominium, apartment or bed-and-breakfast room for payment for a continuous period of under 30 nights, whether the host owns the home or is the principal tenant. Each short-term rental needs its own licence, and so does each platform that lists them.^3,4,5,6,7,9

Issued by

City of Winnipeg, Licensing and Bylaw Enforcement

Valid for

Each licence runs for one year from the date it was bought and must be renewed annually; renewal needs up-to-date accommodation tax reports, a passed annual inspection and the renewal fee. Operation must stop immediately when a licence expires.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Bookings must go through a platform licensed by the City, and the host's licence number must appear on the listing. Platforms must hold their own licence, keep three years of records for each Winnipeg property, and must not post a property without a valid licence.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Primary residence: an individual who lives in the home for the majority of the year; one primary residence per person, and a partnership or corporation cannot hold one.
• Non-primary residence: only if the owner held the property on or before 23 February 2023; an individual who lives in Winnipeg can license up to three, and a partnership or corporation wholly owned by Winnipeg residents can license up to three.
• New owners since that date are limited to one short-term rental, their primary residence, and must be permanent residents of Winnipeg.
• Tenants need a letter of approval from the landlord, and condominium owners need a letter of approval from the condominium board.
• The property's zoning must allow a short-term rental: new ones are not permitted in the Residential Mobile Home (RMH) or Rural Residential (RR2, RR5) districts.
• A Winnipeg Police Vulnerable Sector Check with Criminal Record Check, approved by the Winnipeg Police Service Records Review Board.

How to apply

1. 1 Check that the property's zoning allows a short-term rental and that you qualify: your own primary residence, or a property you owned on or before 23 February 2023.
2. 2 Collect the documents: a floor plan showing bedrooms and fire exits, two pieces of government-issued identification, a landlord or condominium board approval letter where you are not the owner, and for a non-primary residence a safety plan and the contact details of a person authorised to deal with complaints.
3. 3 Obtain a Winnipeg Police Vulnerable Sector Check with Criminal Record Check (valid if completed within the last 6 months) and the Winnipeg Police Record Review form.
4. 4 Submit the online application with the licence fee; incomplete applications are rejected or delayed, and the rental must not operate while the application is awaiting approval.
5. 5 After approval, add the licence number to every listing, turn on the 6% accommodation tax in the platform's tax settings, and book an annual inspection before each renewal.

Permit rules

A City licence is required for every short-term rental

Operating a short-term rental, or a platform that lists them, has required a City of Winnipeg licence since 1 April 2024. A short-term rental must not operate while its application is being processed or awaiting approval.^3,10 In force since April 1, 2024

Licence number on every online and physical advertisement

The City licence number must appear on the platform listing and on any other online or physical advertisement. At the entrance the licence number and a 24/7 phone number must be posted whenever the home is rented, for every non-primary residence and for a primary residence when the host is away.⁴ In force since April 1, 2024

Bookings only through a licensed platform

Hosts may take bookings only through a platform licensed by the City, and private or off-platform booking is prohibited. Platforms must keep three years of records for each Winnipeg property and must not post a property without a valid licence.^4,9 In force since April 1, 2024

Platforms need their own licence

A platform that markets or brokers short-term rentals in Winnipeg needs a City licence costing $1,075, $2,700 or $4,310 a year, depending on whether it lists 1 to 100, 101 to 500 or more than 500 Winnipeg properties.^7,9 Applies to: platforms · In force since April 1, 2024

Owners since 23 February 2023 can license only their primary residence

A short-term rental bought after 23 February 2023 can be licensed only as the owner's primary residence. These owners must be permanent residents of Winnipeg and can own one short-term rental.³ Applies to: owners who acquired a property after 23 February 2023 · In force since April 1, 2024

Up to three second properties if owned on or before 23 February 2023

An individual who lives in Winnipeg can license one primary residence plus up to three non-primary residences, provided they owned them on or before 23 February 2023. A partnership or corporation wholly owned by Winnipeg residents can license up to three. Non-primary residences have no cap on nights a year.^3,6 Applies to: non-primary residences · In force since April 1, 2024

A non-primary licence ends for good when the property is sold or the licence is revoked

A non-primary residence licence permanently expires and cannot be renewed or revived if the licence is revoked, the property is rented for 30 days or more under a rental agreement, or the ownership of the property or of the owning partnership or corporation changes.¹ Applies to: non-primary residences · In force since April 1, 2024

Primary residence means the home where you live most of the year

A primary residence is a dwelling unit owned or rented by an individual who lives there for the majority of the year, including a bed-and-breakfast within that home. A person can have only one, and a partnership or corporation cannot own one.⁵ Applies to: primary residences · In force since April 1, 2024

Zoning must allow it; not permitted in three rural and mobile-home districts

New short-term rentals are not permitted in the Residential Mobile Home (RMH) or Rural Residential (RR2, RR5) zoning districts. The City confirms the zoning before it issues a first licence.^1,3 Applies to: new short-term rentals · In force since April 1, 2024

Landlord or condominium board approval letter

A tenant must supply a letter of permission from the landlord, and a condominium unit needs a letter of approval from the condo board, when applying.^5,6 Applies to: tenants and condominium units · In force since April 1, 2024

Short-term means under 30 nights; 29 nights is the longest booking

A short-term rental is a stay of under 30 continuous nights, and every booking is capped at 29 consecutive nights. There is no minimum stay.^3,4 In force since April 1, 2024

150 nights a year when you are not at home

When the owner or principal tenant is not in residence, a primary residence can be rented whole for up to 150 nights a year. There is no limit on nights when the host is at home.^5,10 Applies to: primary residences · In force since April 1, 2024

With the host at home, up to one fewer room than the home has bedrooms

If the owner or principal tenant is in residence, the guest rooms rented can number at most one less than the bedrooms in the home. There is no yearly limit on nights for those rooms.⁵ Applies to: primary residences · In force since April 1, 2024

Two adults per bedroom

Overnight guests are limited to two adults per bedroom. Children under 18 are not counted.⁴ In force since April 1, 2024

Smoke alarms, fire extinguisher and carbon monoxide detector

Every short-term rental needs working smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher in the main area and a carbon monoxide detector in the main area, shown to be operative at the annual inspection.⁴ In force since April 1, 2024

Police vulnerable sector check and records review

Applicants submit a Winnipeg Police Vulnerable Sector Check with the application and need approval from the Winnipeg Police Service Records Review Board. Checks completed within the last 6 months are valid.^4,5 In force since April 1, 2024

Annual property inspection before renewal

An annual property inspection must be completed before a licence can be renewed, and City officials may inspect on reasonable notice on weekdays, evenings and weekends.^4,5 In force since April 1, 2024

24/7 emergency contact and posted exit plan

The host must give guests an emergency contact number, be available 24/7 during the rental, and post an emergency exit plan inside the rental.⁴ In force since April 1, 2024

Guests must not cause a noise nuisance

The operator must ensure renters do not cause a noise nuisance or otherwise create an undue nuisance to other residents. The City can attach conditions to a licence for a property with a history of noise complaints.¹ In force since April 1, 2024

Keep booking records and report changes within 10 days

Operators keep records of nights rented, rental type, customer names and the price charged, and give them to the City on request. Any change to the application information must be reported within 10 days.⁴ In force since April 1, 2024

Human trafficking information and signage on display

Operators must review the City's human trafficking information and display the Zero Tolerance for Human Trafficking sign in a visible place inside the rental.^4,10 In force since April 1, 2024

Host adds and remits the 6% accommodation tax

Operators must collect a 6% accommodation tax on every booking and pay it to the City quarterly. Airbnb and Vrbo let the host add the tax to each listing, but the tax collected through the booking is not paid to the City automatically.^4,8 In force since April 1, 2024

Median nightly rate, booked nights

US$80

Taxes on that night (18%)

US$14

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

US$94

What the host still handles

• A City of Winnipeg short-term rental licence, which also gives the licence number used to file the quarterly accommodation tax return.
• The quarterly accommodation tax return, due within 20 days after each calendar quarter ends and filed even when the home was not rented.
• A GST/HST account only once taxable sales exceed the $30,000 small supplier limit; Airbnb collects GST for hosts who are not registered.
• No Manitoba retail sales tax vendor registration is needed for lodging sold only through a platform that remits the tax.^{8,14,16,17,19,20}

• Operating a short-term rental without a licence: an administrative penalty of $1,000 under the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act, with separate $1,000 penalties for advertising without a licence number, listing outside a licensed platform and renting a primary residence for over 150 nights while away.^2,4
• Penalty schedule: $1,000 for failing to license a rental, advertising without the licence number, listing outside a licensed platform, renting more than 150 nights a year while away, failing to maintain fire safety equipment or failing to stop operating when the licence expires; $500 for failing to post the name, number and 24/7 phone at the door, failing to report changes within 10 days or failing to keep three years of records.²
• Platforms that fail to license, or that advertise or broker an unlicensed rental, face $1,000 penalties for each breach.²
• Failure to follow the licence requirements can bring warnings, suspensions, penalties under the Municipal By-law Enforcement Act, and a prosecution in Provincial Judges Court for not submitting the accommodation tax.⁴
• Late accommodation tax payments carry a penalty of 2.5% per month from the 21st of the month, and the City may revoke the licence or deny its renewal for failing to report and pay.⁸
• On conviction for carrying on the business without a licence, the minimum fine is the amount of the licence fee for a first offence, twice the fee for a second and three times the fee for a third or later offence.¹

1. December 8, 2026 Proposed
   Executive Policy Committee to take up proposed licensing by-law changes

   On 15 September 2026 the Executive Policy Committee laid over the City's review of the licensing program to its meeting on 8 December 2026. The proposed amendments to the Community Safety Business Licensing By-law would require more proof of residency, criminal record checks for co-owners and adult occupants of a primary residence, clearer guest room limits, notice to the City within five days when a first responder attends, and a definition of nuisance. The report recommends no change to the accommodation tax or the zoning rules.¹¹

2. June 1, 2026
   Manitoba lets municipalities set short-term accommodation taxes without provincial approval

   From 1 June 2026 The Municipal Act (new Division 5.1) lets municipalities set their own short-term accommodation tax on stays of 30 consecutive days or less, and the Province states that this applies to the City of Winnipeg.¹⁸

3. January 1, 2026
   2026 licence fee schedule

   The licence fees now in force took effect on 1 January 2026 and are subject to annual inflationary increases.⁷

4. April 1, 2024
   Licensing starts and the accommodation tax covers short-term rentals at 6%

   From 1 April 2024 a City licence is required to operate a short-term rental or a platform. The Accommodation Tax was raised from 5% to 6% in the 2024 budget approved on 20 March 2024 and applies to short-term rental bookings from the same date.^3,10,11

5. February 23, 2023
   Council adopts the short-term rental regulatory framework

   Council adopted the Executive Policy Committee's recommendations on regulating short-term rentals on 23 February 2023. The same date is the ownership date that separates grandfathered second properties from properties that can be licensed only as a primary residence.^3,11

Estimate what a Winnipeg home could earn

1. 1. Community Safety Business Licensing By-law No. 91/2008 (consolidation of 18 December 2025) · City of Winnipeg
2. 2. Municipal By-law Enforcement Act Enabling By-law No. 59/2016, Schedule A (consolidation of 25 June 2026) · City of Winnipeg
3. 3. Short-term rental accommodations · City of Winnipeg
4. 4. Requirements for operating a short-term rental · City of Winnipeg
5. 5. Primary residence · City of Winnipeg
6. 6. Non-primary residence · City of Winnipeg
7. 7. Short-term rental licence fees · City of Winnipeg
8. 8. Accommodation tax · City of Winnipeg
9. 9. Short-term rental platforms · City of Winnipeg
10. 10. New rules for operating short-term rentals in Winnipeg · City of Winnipeg
11. 11. Executive Policy Committee minutes, 15 September 2026, item 13: Regulating Short-Term Rental Accommodations · City of Winnipeg
12. 12. Short Term Rental Accommodations (open data: issued licences) · City of Winnipeg Open Data
13. 13. Charge and collect the GST/HST: which rate to charge · Canada Revenue Agency
14. 14. Who needs to register for GST/HST · Canada Revenue Agency
15. 15. Retail Sales Tax · Province of Manitoba
16. 16. Information Bulletin RST 064: Streaming Services and Online Platforms · Province of Manitoba
17. 17. Accommodation Tax By-law No. 70/2008: Information Circular · City of Winnipeg, Assessment and Taxation Department
18. 18. Changes to The Municipal Act: Short-Term Accommodation Tax (questions and answers) · Province of Manitoba, Municipal and Northern Relations
19. 19. Winnipeg · Airbnb Help Centre
20. 20. Tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Canada · Airbnb Help Centre