Editors Note: Support the Squamish Reporter with a small subscription
Five years into its short-term rental (STR) regulatory program, the District of Squamish is seeing a continued decline in the number of short-term rental units operating in the community, a sign that staff say the program is working. However, the long-term rental vacancy rate in Squamish still sits at 0.2 per cent.
According to the 2025 short-term rental report, the number of STR units dropped roughly 16 per cent over the past year, falling from approximately 250 units in the fourth quarter of 2024 to around 210 units by the end of 2025. This continues a downward trend that began in 2023 and represents a significant pullback from the peak of around 480 listings seen in 2018.
The district started developing the program in 2018 and formally launched it in 2021. The program requires short term rental operators to obtain a business licence and, in cases where the rental is not the operator’s primary residence, a Temporary Use Permit (TUP).
The District issued 210 STR business licences in 2025, up from 187 in 2024, and the compliance rate held steady in the 75 to 78 per cent range, a marked improvement from just 43 per cent when the program launched. Enforcement activity dipped in 2025, however, with public complaints dropping to just 8 compared to 28 the year prior. Staff attribute this to an administrative staffing shortage in both the Bylaw and Building Departments rather than any reduction in non-compliant operators.
Demand for non-principal residence STR permits reached the program’s 30-unit cap at one point during 2025, and there are currently 28 active TUP operators. The District updated its STR licensing webpage to alert prospective operators that no new TUPs would be issued beyond the cap, though spots may open on a first-come, first-served basis if existing permits are surrendered.
STR licence fees generated $156,800 in 2025, comfortably covering the roughly $145,000 annual cost of running the program. The District also cancelled its contract with third-party monitoring service, finding that the Province’s own STR data portal now provides sufficient information for enforcement purposes.
Editors Note: Support the Squamish Reporter with a small subscription
The first batch of STR Temporary Use Permits, issued when the program launched in 2021, are set to expire this year. Staff say, the operators with expiring TUPs will be directed to apply for a new permit to continue operating.
Staff are not recommending major changes to the program in 2026. With the long-term vacancy rate sitting at just 0.2% as of October 2025, protecting Squamish’s limited long-term rental supply remains the program’s top priority.
A comprehensive short-term rental TUP review project has been added to the Community Development Department’s 2027 workplan.
