News release

Legislation Allows Stronger Rules for Short-Term Rentals

Municipal Affairs and Housing (to November 2024)

Changes to regulations for short-term rentals such as Airbnbs will help make more long-term housing available.

The amendments introduced today, October 12, enable higher registration fees to be set through regulations for short-term accommodations. The proposed changes will ensure that fees will be based on the size of the community where they are located. The Province will also increase fines for breaking registration rules.

“Nova Scotia is facing an unprecedented housing crisis. Building housing takes time. In the meantime, houses and apartments that could be long-term homes are being rented short-term,” said John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Every home counts.”

The Tourist Accommodations Registration Act will be renamed the Short-term Rental Registration Act.

Once amendments to the act are passed, the Province intends to bring forward changes to regulations in spring 2024. The regulations will include the following details:

  • updated definitions
  • higher annual registration fees for short-term rental accommodations such as Airbnbs, including homes, apartments and rooms in a home
  • fees for units in a principal residence will be set at $10 across the province
  • fees for units that are not located in someone’s home will range from $240 in the most rural communities to $3,600 in the centre of Halifax Regional Municipality
  • fees for intermediate tourism zones and the borders of those zones will be determined through analysis and engagement
  • higher maximum fines for operators and accommodations marketing platforms that don’t follow the rules
  • an additional compliance and enforcement tool through an administrative penalties system.

The fee changes under consideration will not impact traditional accommodations such as hotels and motels, which will continue to range from $50 to $150 depending on the number of bedrooms.

Quick Facts:

  • the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act came into effect in April 2020 and requires accommodations marketing platforms and operators that rent for 28 days or less to register with the Province every year by April 1
  • in April 2023, accommodations within a host’s primary residence were added to the act, and platforms such as Airbnb and Expedia were required to list only accommodations with a valid registration number
  • as of early October, there were more than 6,200 registered short-term accommodations in Nova Scotia
  • on October 5, the government announced its intention to introduce these changes and transfer the registry to Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • the Province has made more than $200 million in housing investments since 2022 to help Nova Scotians in need

Additional Resources:

Tourist Accommodations Registration Act: https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/tourist%20accommodations%20registration.pdf

Tourist Accommodations Registry: https://beta.novascotia.ca/register-your-tourist-accommodation

Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

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