Business Licences

Complete the application/s below and submit to [email protected]. Note: the Burnaby Business Bylaw contains regulations that every holder of a business licence must comply with. 

Complete the business licence application below for home or office-based business with permanent location.

• Business-Licence-Application.pdf

Complete the supplementary declaration to business licence application below if operating out of a fixed commercial location in Burnaby.

• Supplementary-Declaration-to-Business-Licence-Application.pdf

Alternatively, you can apply online for your business licence with a My Property account. 

If you own and rent out your single family house or duplex and don’t live on the premises, you’re required to purchase an annual $134.50 (no prorating) house rental licence.

To apply, complete a house rental licence application and submit it to [email protected].

Alternatively, you can apply online for your business licence with a My Property account. 

Short-term rentals are units homeowners can rent out for a maximum of 90 days per calendar year. These include vacation rentals listed on online platforms such as Airbnb® and Vrbo®. Anyone who wishes to operate a short-term rental in Burnaby must first obtain a business licence. 

The Short-Term Rental Program provides homeowners with an opportunity to earn extra income by renting rooms in their principal residence, while striking a balance to protect long-term housing stock and minimize disruption to residential neighbourhoods. 

Anyone planning to operate a short-term rental in Burnaby must first obtain a short-term rental annual business licence. 

Eligibility requirements:

• Homeowners may only list their principal residence as a short-term rental property. 
• Short-term rentals in strata units are only permitted with the written permission of the strata council.
• Short-term rentals are not permitted in rental units, secondary suites, multi-family flex units (including in flex units), caretaker residences, dwelling units containing a secondary suite, boarding use, homebased childcare facilities, group homes, private hospitals or a home occupation that includes on-site client services, and accessory buildings
• Up to 4 unrelated guests, or 6 people within the same family, are permitted to stay in a short-term rental. 
• Homeowners are limited to a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year renting a portion of their principal residence as a short-term rental. However, 28 of those nights may include the rental of the homeowner’s entire principal residence.

How to apply:

• Submit an application form along with mandatory documentation (proof of principal residence, and a letter of permission from strata (if applicable) to [email protected]. 
  Short-Term-Rental-Licence-Application.pdf
• If your application is approved, we’ll send you a notice for payment ($258.50 business licence fee and a non-refundable application fee of $51.50). 

For more information on how to safely operate a short-term rental in Burnaby, download our Short Term Rental Operator’s Guidebook.

Compliance for short-term rentals 

The City takes an active approach to enforcement of short-term rental regulations. Property owners may face fines of up to $500 per infraction, with escalating fines for continued non-compliance. 

Fines may be issued for violations including:

• failure to obtain a valid business licence 
• operating a short-term rental on a property that is not the operator’s principal residence 
• failure to provide information to guests 
• failure to attend 
• failure to maintain records 
• failure to post a fire safety plan

An IMBL costs $250 annually (in addition to your business licence) and matches the validity dates of your Burnaby business licence. It allows eligible businesses (including home-based businesses) to work in participating municipalities (including Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta, Surrey and Richmond) with a single licence instead of acquiring a separate business licence for each city. If you want to operate in a non-participating municipality, contact the business licence office in that municipality for more information.

Note: you’ll still need to apply for a municipal business licence from Burnaby (or your home municipality) and a licence for each fixed and permanent location you have.

Advantages of an IMBL 

• Save time and money while quickly expanding into new markets.
• Offer more options (contractors and service providers) for residents to choose from.

After getting an IMBL 

• Keep a copy of the current IMBL at each work location. 
• Present any required certification when requesting a permit at any of the participating municipalities.

If you qualify, please contact our licence office at 604-294-7320 or email us at [email protected]. For more information, visit BC IMBL Program. 

• Home occupation must not involve any internal or external structural alterations–structures, fences, enclosures–to the principal building. There should be no outward indication that the building is being used for any purpose other than a dwelling.
• The premises must not be used for manufacturing, welding or any other light industrial use. The site must not produce noise, vibration, smoke, dust, odour, litter or heat other than that generally associated with a dwelling unit. The site must also not create or cause any fire hazard, electrical interference, excessive pedestrian or vehicular traffic in the common areas or parking areas of a multi-family building or on the street.
• Materials, containers or finished products cannot be stored externally.
• No stock in trade should be kept or handled and no commodity sold on the premises.
• Home businesses must not involve mechanical equipment, except for household or recreational hobbies.
• Only individuals residing at the address can be employed in the home-based business.

No commercial vehicle, truck, bus, contractor equipment, dismantled or wrecked automobile, trailer or any similar vehicle, conveyance, craft or equipment shall be parked or stored in the open in R1 to R12, or RM (residential) districts, except for the following which may be parked or stored in the rear yard only:

• one truck or commercial vehicle not exceeding 4500 kg.
• trucks, commercial vehicles or equipment required for the construction, repair, servicing or maintenance of the premises
• any dismantled or wrecked vehicle for a maximum of 30 consecutive days. 

See the Burnaby Zoning Bylaw for information on the parking or storage of recreational vehicles and boats.

Register for a My Property Portal profile. It’s the easiest way to see your account balance and make payments. Once you create an account, you can also receive notices by email.* 

If you want to pay by credit card without creating a profile, please visit our direct payment page. A non-refundable 1.75% convenience fee will be applied to all credit card payments.

*Please note if you subscribe for e-billing you will not receive a paper copy of your business licence notice.

When paying via online banking, phone banking, ATMs or financial institutions, select Burnaby City BUSINESS LICENCE as a payee and enter your account number (starting with 7XXXXX) located on the top right corner of your current notice.

Please check with your financial institution as some banks require up to 3 business days for payment processing.

For your convenience, here are the most commonly used banks and credit unions where you can submit your online payment(s).

Mail your cheque and invoice stub well in advance of the due date.

• Make your cheque payable to the City of Burnaby.
• Mailing address: 
  • Licence Office
    4949 Canada Way
    Burnaby BC V5G 1M2
• Postdated cheques are accepted up to the due date.
• Note: a late fee will apply if your cheque is lost or overdue. 

• Pay in person at City Hall, 4949 Canada Way.
• We’re open Monday-Wednesday and Friday from 8 am-4:45 pm and Thursday from 8 am-8 pm.
• Acceptable method of payments are credit cards, debit, cheques or cash.
• 24-hour drop boxes are located at both entrances to City Hall.
  • Please note: Drop boxes are emptied daily.