Global Regulatory Notes (7)

🇨🇦 Canada

Central Okanagan, BC

New STR bylaws are being proposed for rural Central Okanagan, BC covering unincorporated areas outside Kelowna and West Kelowna. Operators must designate a representative reachable within two hours, with contact details posted on an RDCO-issued roadside sign.

The RDCO board's public hearing is scheduled for April 16, 2026.

Centre Wellington, ON

For the first time, Centre Wellington is working to regulate short-term rental accommodations. The township currently has no bylaw regulating STRAs, but a proposed zoning amendment discussed at a March 23, 2026 public meeting in Elora drew pushback.

Delegates warned that reclassifying downtown STRAs as hotels would strip away fees, demerit points, and occupancy limits, putting smaller operators at a disadvantage and threatening the local housing supply. No decision was reached; licensing rules are expected before council in April.

Niagara Falls, ON

A new 14-month STR pilot running until September 2026 is underway in Niagara Falls. The Owner Occupied Short-Term Rental (OOSTR) program allows homeowners to rent a dwelling unit on their principal residence property capped at 100 licences.

Operating without a valid licence carries fines of $1,000 per day and Council will assess results before deciding on continuation.

Squamish, BC

The District of Squamish will review its short-term rental (STR) policy in 2027, with scoping beginning in late 2025. STR units declined 16% year-over-year in Q4 2025, and enforcement compliance sits at 70-80%.

In a March 2025 letter, Tourism Squamish urged the District to align with provincial rules allowing one secondary suite rental per principal residence property and citing an accommodation crisis and hotel occupancy rates above 80% year-round.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 East Midlands, England

East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward has proposed a £1 to £2 per night overnight stay levy covering Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire that applies to short-term rentals and hotels alike.

The proposal follows a late 2025 government announcement giving England's mayors power to charge overnight stay levies and was debated at a March 2026 Nottinghamshire County Council meeting. Independent operators warn the levy would deter visitors and further strain already tight margins.

🇪🇸 Spain

Canary Islands

Thousands of holiday rental owners across the Canary Islands await a Supreme Court ruling that could overturn a long-standing STR restriction. Accepted in March 2026, appeal number 8002/2025 challenges the Canary Islands Tourism Law's unified management principle which the High Court of Justice initially upheld in July 2025.

The outcome will affect owners in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote unable to rent their properties due to external hotel operators.

Madrid

Tightened tourist apartment regulations took effect in Madrid in March 2026 which introduced new standards and accountability rules. Municipalities can now limit the number of tourist apartments per building or area, while all properties must obtain a suitability certificate and meet minimum room size and furnishing requirements.

Last year, more than 3,000 illegal apartments were shut down, though the market quickly recovered with new listings.

🇯🇵 Kyoto, Japan

Already among Japan's strictest STR regulators, Kyoto City is weighing additional vacation rental curbs in March 2026. Vacation rentals in Japan are capped at 180 operating days per year, but Kyoto's residential neighborhoods restrict them further to January 15 through March 15 only while owners required to live within a 10-minute walk of the property.

Mayor Matsui Kōji is considering designated "zero-day rental" zones amid rising resident complaints.

🇿🇦 South Africa

Gazetted in March 2026, South Africa's Draft Code of Good Practice represents the country's first national guidance on short-term rentals. The non-binding code covers responsible conduct for hosts, guests, and platforms as an interim measure while the Department of Tourism reviews the Tourism Act with comments due by May 12, 2026.

With short-term rentals accounting for roughly 50% of South Africa's accommodation sector, concerns are growing over rising housing costs and an uneven playing field for hotels.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Wales

Starting in 2029, Airbnb and holiday let operators in Wales will need a government licence to operate. The Senedd passed the Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation Bill on March 19, 2026 which requires self-catering providers to hold gas and electrical safety certificates, carbon monoxide alarms, public liability insurance, and a completed fire safety risk assessment.

Key final proceedings on the Visitor Accommodation Bill in the Senedd (Report Stage, Royal Consent, and Stage 4 debate) (17 March 2026).

A publicly available directory of licensed accommodation providers will also be created.

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