Best Places to Buy Vacation Rental Property in BC, Canada

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Investing in real estate shouldn’t be a lottery. That’s why having access to proper market statistics is crucial for potential owners. Today we’ve brought you relevant 2022 data for Airbnb properties in British Columbia, CA. By going over the competitive landscape, you will create a baseline before making investment decisions.

Discover the top 5 of the Best AirBnBs in Vancouver.

Why you should consider owning Airbnb vacation rentals in BC

Vast are the beauties of Canada, and tourists certainly appreciate them. In 2021 British Columbia, one of the most picturesque and diverse locations in the country welcomed 676,161 international visitors and saw a 16,8% increase in guests from Europe. As reality shifts into the post-pandemic phase, the numbers are expected to rise further. And investments into Canadian vacation rentals are looking really good.

British Columbia is particularly appealing to tourists thanks to its stereotype-disrupting magic. Canada is not the overwhelmingly cloudy and chilly place many believe it to be, and BC alone proves that. All economic regions of the province possess a beautiful contrast of climates, landscapes, and cultures:

Vancouver Island & Coast — mild climate, wilderness overflowing with mountains, forests, parks, lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers, coastal resorts with access to surfing and epic whale watching.
Kootenays — an outdoorsman’s dreamland, with an array of hard and soft adventures, from white water rafting to cave exploring. But it also offers laid-back leisure with lodges and spa resorts among cedars and hot springs. It’s properly snowy in the winter and hot in the summer.
Thompson-Okanagan — the Americas’ Sustainable Tourism Destination pioneer, overflowing with orchards and vineyards. It mixes mountainous landscapes with valleys and deserts and has more than 2000 sunny days per year.

The surface is barely scratched here; after all, your future guests will be arriving with certain tourist attractions already in mind. Our current goal is to find the best BC place to invest in.

Read also:

Top 10 British Columbia cities for Airbnb real estate investment

City	Revenue, $
Vancouver	2238
Whistler	4285
Victoria	2529
Sun Peaks	4361
Tofino	5737
Squamish	2670
White Rock	2242
Kelowna	3203
Cultus Lake	2953
Harrison Hot Springs	2389

Vancouver

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.68

Vancouver’s vacation rentals are dominated by entire houses, followed closely by private rooms. Being the heart of Western Canada, it is also the country’s second most expensive city. And while the average price is not the highest among the other cities, Vancouver doesn’t suffer from low tourist demand.

Is Airbnb legal in Vancouver? Read here.

Summer and fall are considered the highest seasons. But August is the true peak: visitors are drawn by its long, warm, but not blazing-hot days that are perfect for family vacations.

Active rentals in total: 2,682
Rental sizes: 47% one-bedroom, 32% two-bedroom, 11% three-bedroom, 7% studio;
Average price per night: $176;
Occupancy rate: 77%;
Guests on average: 4;
Peak month: August;
Highest monthly revenue: $3,600 in August;
Revenue estimate: $2.200.

Check out Why Investing in Vancouver Airbnb Market is a Smart Choice.

Whistler

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.7

Becoming the first Winter Olympics host city in the 2010s has started a new tourist era for Whistler. It is one of the priciest cities on BC’s Airbnb arena thanks to the year-round abundance of entertainment. Inherently known as a ski resort, Whistler now sees regular occupancy surges in August, its hottest month.

Active rentals in total: 2,956;
Rental sizes: 33% two-bedroom, 30% one-bedroom, 14% three-bedroom, 12% studio, 6% four-bedroom, 4% five and more bedroom;
Average price per night: $357;
Occupancy rate: 59%;
Peak month: August;
Guests on average: 5,7;
Highest monthly revenue: $7,900 in December;
Revenue estimate: $4.300.

Explore:

White Rock

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.59

With summer heat reaching up to 30°С every year, tourists flock to White Rock’s coast enthusiastically. Families with children especially love the warm and relatively shallow waters of Semiahmoo Bay, with its piers, sandy beaches, and paddleboards.

For some reason, Airbnb doesn’t list any studios right now, but one- and two-bedroom vacation rentals are equally white-hot.

Active rentals in total: 72
Rental sizes: 38% one-bedroom, 38% two-bedroom, 17% three-bedroom, 5% four-bedroom;
Average price per night: $182;
Occupancy rate: 70%;
Peak month: July;
Guests on average: 4,2;
Highest monthly revenue: $3,600 in August;
Revenue estimate: $2.200.

Victoria

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.66

As the province capital, Victoria sees a high occupancy rate and demand for different rental types. The flow of tourists is diverse — from couples and big families to student friend groups or solo travelers — so you can choose the group you want to cater to without missing the mark.

Keep in mind that Victoria’s transport infrastructure is heavily cycling-based, so don’t forget to add a bike storage solution to your vacation rental.

Active rentals in total: 3,137;
Rental sizes: 50% one-bedroom, 32% two-bedroom, 13% studio, 3% three-bedroom;
Average price per night: $169;
Occupancy rate: 81%;
Peak month: August;
Guests on average: 3,8;
Highest monthly revenue: $4,600 in August;
Revenue estimate: $2.500.

Airbnb Management in Victoria, BC

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.7

Despite the solar name, Sun Peaks’ recreational strength lies in its “wintery” winters. It’s one of the best cold-season destinations in North America, with a perfect amount of snow for skiing, dog sledding, and more. So February being Sun Peaks’ most active rental month makes sense, as does the popularity of larger properties, suitable for families and friend groups. Note that entire homes make up the overwhelming majority (98%) of the resort’s vacation rentals.

Active rentals in total: 364;
Rental sizes: 39% two-bedroom, 26% three-bedroom, 17% four-bedroom, 12% one-bedroom, 4% studio, 4% five and more bedroom;
Average price: $394;
Occupancy rate: 50%;
Peak month: February;
Guests on average: 7,3;
Highest monthly revenue: $9,2 in February;
Revenue estimate: $4.400.

Tofino

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.85

Tofino is a great example of a low number of rentals vs a high occupancy rate, resulting in an alluring revenue estimate. This is influenced by strict local regulations that require business licensing for short-term Airbnb rentals.

And since Tofino is one of the most popular tourist regions in Canada — and its surfing capital — the demand is booming, attracting potential hosts. The occupancy rate in August, for instance, has been at 100%.

Active rentals in total: 319;
Rental sizes: 35% three-bedroom, 29% one-bedroom, 26% two-bedroom, 9% studio;
Average price per night: $341;
Occupancy rate: 79%;
Peak month: August;
Guests on average: 4,4;
Highest monthly revenue: $9,900 in August;
Revenue estimate: $5.700.

Squamish

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.83

This southwestern town thrives on outdoor tourism. Especially during the May-September period, when the weather is perfect for wilderness adventures. July Airbnb rentals have been especially popular recently, probably because of high wind speeds mixed with warm sunny days — great for windsurfers and kitesurfers.

Active rentals in total: 147;
Rental sizes: 34% one-bedroom, 23% three-bedroom, 21% two-bedroom, 10% four-bedroom, 7% five and more bedroom, 5% studio;
Average price per night: $200;
Occupancy rate: 73%;
Peak month: July;
Guests on average: 5,1;
Highest monthly revenue: $3,700 in August;
Revenue estimate: $2.700.

Kelowna

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.75

Active rentals in total: 689
Rental sizes: 39% two-bedroom, 25% one-bedroom, 18% three-bedroom, 7% four-bedroom, 7% studio, 4% five and more bedroom;
Average price per night: $262;
Occupancy rate: 73%;
Peak month: July;
Guests on average: 5;
Highest monthly revenue: $7,500 in July;
Revenue estimate: $3.200.

Airbnb Management in Kelowna

Cultus Lake

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.81

This town is where the sophisticated North American vacationing is. Cultus Lake demonstrates an intriguing triad of high average price, decent occupancy rate, and promising revenue estimate against the short Airbnb listing.

It’s a great place to invest in vacation rentals for middle-class families: note the popularity of bigger properties and lack of interest in one-bedroom places or studios. Cultus Lake is a gorgeous, thriving resort: laid-back, yet full of tourist gems. It’s also relatively close to the urban beauties of Vancouver.

Active rentals in total: 64;
Rental sizes: 37% two-bedroom, 37% three-bedroom, 15% four-bedroom, 8% five and more bedroom;
Average price per night: $289;
Occupancy rate: 77%;
Peak month: July;
Guests on average: 7,6;
Highest monthly revenue: $5000 in August;
Revenue estimate: $3.000.

Harrison Hot Springs

AVERAGE AIRBNB RATING: 4.64

As the name suggests, the town is famous for its two healing hot mineral springs, Sulphur and Potash. They are active all year round, and so is the tourists’ interest. Lots of attractions in Harrison Hot Springs are actually about water: you have your summer water park, several beautiful lakes for see-doing, jet-skiing, or speed boating — and, of course, whale watching. Colder seasons offer all kinds of snowy fun, from skiing and dog sledding to revving up snowmobiles. (Also, they apparently have Sasquatch sightings, and those can happen 24/7 and are for all target groups).

Harrison Hot Springs is another town with strict rules for owning short-term & vacation rentals: such property must be commercially zoned. This is a great chance to invest in this hidden gem niche while the competitors are busy with messier markets elsewhere.

Active rentals in total: 44;
Rental sizes: 33% two-bedroom, 24% studio, 17% three-bedroom, 14% one-bedroom, 7% five and more bedroom; 5% four-bedroom;
Average price per night: $317;
Occupancy rate: 50%;
Peak month: August;
Guests on average: 5,7;
Highest monthly revenue: $6,700 in August;
Revenue estimate: $2.400.

Comparison of Key Indicators

City	Average Daily Rate, $	Occupancy Rate, %	Revenue, $
Vancouver	176	77	2238
Whistler	357	59	4285
Victoria	169	81	2529
Sun Peaks	394	50	4361
Tofino	341	79	5737
Squamish	200	73	2670
White Rock	182	70	2242
Kelowna	262	73	3203
Cultus Lake	289	77	2953
Harrison Hot Springs	317	50	2389

More about the best cities for Airbnb in Ontario read here.

How to buy Airbnb vacation rental property in British Columbia, CA

If you want your vacation rental investment to bear fruit (and income) as soon as possible, choose wisely. And lend some wisdom from real estate professionals. We have a team of experienced specialists ready to share their knowledge and help you to:

Find the property in British Columbia that perfectly matches your long-term goals;
Evaluate the seasonal potential of different BC locations;
Figure out the type and size of property that fits your investment strategy best;
Calculate your potential ROI;
Walk through the nuances of Airbnb short-term and vacation rental investments in Canada;
Make negotiations to secure the greatest deal for you;
Handle the entire buying process, guiding you at every step;
Ensuring your property and setting up your Airbnb business processes;
…And more.