A lodging house is defined as the business of providing sleeping or lodging accommodation for compensation for three or more persons in the same dwelling unit for periods of 30 or more consecutive days, where each person has entered into a separate rental agreement.

With this new definition, some operators who previously were licensed for a lodging house may now be categorized as a short term rental. Operators should maintain their current licence and apply for the STR licence in Feb. 2020.

To apply for a lodging house business licence, go to calgary.ca/myBusiness

An operator must keep a record in English and in an electronic form that is satisfactory to the Chief Licence Inspector. Operators must keep a permanent record for each transaction and provide it to the Inspector upon demand. The record must include:

• full name and email address of a paid guest
• room of the dwelling the person is staying in
• duration of their stay

A guest record template is available here​.

The purpose of this regulation is to ensure transparency of operators for guests and the Chief Licence Inspector.

For compliments or complaints regarding lodging houses, call 311, use the app or go to Calgary.ca/311

For more information about business licensing, visit: Calgary.ca/myBusiness and Bylaws related to businesses​.

For more on long-term rentals of secondary suites, visit calgary.ca/suites