In Whistler, nightly rentals are allowed only where the zoning lists tourist or temporary accommodation as a permitted use. The owner also needs a Resort Municipality of Whistler business licence and a provincial registration. The provincial principal residence requirement does not apply here, but covenants on title can still limit how the unit is rented.
Give us the address; we check the right rules
You should not have to read a zoning bylaw and your title documents before asking for help. We look at the unit at a free property review, explain what applies, and say if it cannot be hosted before any set-up begins.
- We check zoning and title first. Tourist accommodation zoning and any rental pool covenant decide whether nightly rentals are allowed and who can run them.
- We help with the paperwork. We help prepare the business licence and the provincial registration, and keep both numbers on the listing.
- We take on the guest work. Listing, pricing, bookings, messages, cleaning, laundry, keys and repairs are handled through our Whistler management service.
What stays with you
- The licence is yours. The municipality requires the property owner to hold the business licence to market, manage and provide paid accommodation to tourists, even for a self-managed unit.
- Open building permits. No licence is issued while the property has an open or incomplete building permit; you close it with the municipality's Building Department.
- Your strata's bylaws. A strata corporation can limit or ban short-term rentals, even where the zoning allows them.
- PST and MRDT. Whistler charges the Municipal and Regional District Tax on short-term accommodation, on top of PST. If you sell only through a platform that is registered to collect them, the platform does; list anywhere else as well and you must register to collect and remit both. You stay liable for any tax a platform does not remit.
Questions owners ask
Is my unit zoned for nightly rentals? The zoning must list "tourist accommodation" or "temporary accommodation" as a permitted use. Residential zoning and employee housing units cannot be rented to tourists for any length of time. The municipality's map has a layer for properties zoned for nightly rentals, but the zoning bylaw is the place to confirm it.
Does the principal residence rule apply in Whistler? No. The Province lists Whistler as exempt, so the unit does not have to be where you live. You still register it with the provincial Short-Term Rental Registry, and local zoning and covenants still apply. See our BC rules guide.
Can you manage a unit with a rental pool covenant? It depends on the covenant. A Phase 2 covenant requires every unit in a single rental pool chosen by the strata owners, so an outside manager may not be an option. Under a Phase 1 covenant that names no single rental pool, owners can usually choose their own booking and management arrangement. We read your covenant before agreeing anything.
Checked on 14 November 2026: Resort Municipality of Whistler, how BC's short-term rental rules affect Whistler, tourist accommodation requirements and covenants; Province of BC, principal residence requirement and PST on accommodation.
General information, not legal advice.
