Calgary Answers · Owning · Renting It Out

Can I Short-Term Rentmy basement suite?

Possibly — but three separate permissions have to line up, and people usually check only the first one.

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Three permissions, not one

  1. The suite itself has to be legal. Short-term renting does not change the underlying requirement. If the suite is not permitted and registered as a suite, renting it by the night does not solve that — it advertises it.
  2. The City licenses short-term rentals. Calgary requires a business licence to operate one, and the rules around short-term rentals have been revisited more than once. Confirm the current requirements with the City before you list anything, not after.
  3. Whatever governs the property. If it is a condominium, the bylaws may restrict or prohibit short-term rentals outright, and the board is entitled to enforce them.

The two calls nobody makes

Your insurer and your lender are both parties to how this property is used. A standard homeowner policy is not written for paying guests turning over weekly, and a mortgage was advanced on a stated use. Neither conversation is difficult; both are far worse when they happen after a claim or during a refinance.

Short-term renting is a business run out of a house you live in. Treat every party who has an interest in that house as someone who needs to know.

Whether it is worth it

Nightly rates look better than monthly rent until you count the work. Cleaning between stays, laundry, messaging, supplies, licensing and the vacancy between bookings all come out of the top line, and you absorb them personally when the guests are downstairs from where you sleep.

A long-term tenant is less money and dramatically less labour, with a predictable person in the space. Plenty of owners try nightly rentals for a season and settle into a lease. See also what to know before renting out your basement.