B.C. housing bill focuses on multi-units, publicizing short-term rental penalties

VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is proposing changes to its short-term rental laws, including allowing for compliance orders and penalties to be published to deter people from breaking the rules.

Housing Minister Christine Boyle tabled an omnibus housing bill in the legislature, which would make changes to multiple pieces of legislation including the Local Government Act, the Vancouver Charter and the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act.

Along with the short-term rental changes, the government says the bill would ensure all local governments are meeting small-scale, multi-unit housing requirements that allow for more forms of housing, such as triplexes, rowhomes and townhouses.

The Housing Ministry says in a statement that the changes will prevent local governments from putting in restrictions that “make it more difficult to build anything other than single-family or duplex housing for communities with more than 5,000 people.”

The changes would also ensure that housing development isn’t limited because a city has rules on parking spaces per unit. 

Boyle told reporters at the legislature that the majority of B.C. communities are implementing the province’s rules to build more homes to ease the housing crisis. 

“There are a number of communities where there has been a bit more resistance, or where we’re seeing challenges around implementation, and the priority here is consistent implementation across municipalities,” she said after tabling the bill on Thursday.

“These tools will allow us to work with those local governments and push if needed, to make sure that the regulations are applied consistently and that more housing options are available in every community across B.C.” 

Cori Ramsay, the president of the Union of B.C. Municipalities, said she expects local governments are going to be disappointed that the province continues to “centralize decision making for housing in Victoria.”

Ramsay, who is a city councillor in Prince George, said Thursday that requiring the same approach to density in all parts of a community drives up the cost for water, sewer and other core services. 

“We all have different needs and the ability to maintain local planning at the local level, with local leaders who are in touch with residents, who know their communities, that is essential. That is part of that long-term infrastructure planning process,” she said.

Centralizing decision making around housing from the B.C. legislature takes away from the local residents and leaders being able to make those land-use decisions, she said. 

Ramsay said it will have “negative consequences for local government across the province, and it’s going to result in significantly higher infrastructure costs for us.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025