Short-term rental rules in Prince Edward County, Ontario

The rules today

Who can host	Only two kinds of licence are open: Primary Residence (the owner's own principal residence per tax filing; host on-site all year, or off-site up to 45 days a year) and Bed and Breakfast (owner-occupied, max 4 guest rooms). Secondary-residence (whole-home, not your primary residence) STAs: no new licences for applications after 2022-09-20; only already-licensed/grandfathered ones may renew, and a buyer of a grandfathered property may apply to continue the use if legal non-conforming status is proven. Licences are not transferable and expire on sale. Source
Where it is allowed	By-law 108-2021 s.2(8): STA only where it is a permitted use under the County Zoning By-law. B&Bs only in zones expressly permitting them, only in a principal residence, not in an accessory building. Specific permitted zones not confirmed from official sources. Source
Limits	Max 4 rented bedrooms/suites per STA; max 2 persons per licensed guest room plus 1 child under 10 per room (s.2 item 5(c), as amended by 144-2023); at least 1 parking space per guest room on the same lot (plus up to 1 on-street space 1 Apr-30 Nov where approved); no events such as weddings; 24/7 contact reachable within 30 min and on-site within 60 min; $2M liability insurance; Primary off-site hosts may rent the whole home max 45 nights per calendar year (exception: a primary residence with a second unit may rent that unit without a night limit while the owner lives on the property). Licensed STAs must be rented only in rooms approved on the floor plan. Council may limit the number of licences issued per year by motion (s.8(8)); no numeric cap found. Source
Licence process	Complete application with floor plan, site plan, proof of ownership/residency (attestation plus 2 supporting documents for primary residence), insurance, Fire Code self-attestation, septic/legal-use proof; inspection mandatory before a NEW licence (new applicants must confirm the inspection appointment within 14 days or application may be deactivated/denied). Licence valid 1 year; renewals notified by email via Harmari and may be done without inspection by self-attestation of no changes; periodic inspections (primary on-site every 4 yrs, off-site every 2 yrs; secondary every 2 yrs) per county pages. County verifies MAT filings are current before processing renewals. Licence number must appear conspicuously in every advertisement; a copy of the licence must be displayed inside the unit. Licence list is published on the County website. Source
Fees	The town's official pages do not state this. Check with the town directly.
Taxes	Municipal Accommodation Tax 4% on the accommodation charge for stays under 30 consecutive nights, in effect 2021-02-01. Remitted quarterly (due Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31); NIL form still required; interest 1.25%/month on overdue. Page says Airbnb will not collect it for hosts; MAT number from MAT@pecounty.on.ca needed if adding via Airbnb tools. STA page states MAT is checked at renewal. Source
Penalties	Administrative monetary penalties (1st/2nd/subsequent) per county page: operating without licence $10,000/$15,000/$20,000; advertising without licence $2,000/$4,000/$8,000; no licence number in ad $1,000/$2,000/$4,000; non-permitted events $500/$1,000/$2,000; operating other than as approved $1,000/$2,000/$4,000; refusing inspection entry $300/$500/$1,000; failing to provide documents $100/$200/$400. By-law s.8(7) also allows court fines up to $5,000/day (first), $10,000/day (subsequent) and special fine up to $50,000. Licence may be revoked after 3+ notices to comply in 6 months, or automatically if insurance lapses. Unpaid fines may be added to the tax roll after 60 days. Source

What changed in Prince Edward County

• March 1, 2026

  County application/renewal packages dated March 2026 (new versions); the landing page says council enacted amendments to By-law 108-2021 but does not say what or when. No 2025/2026 council review was found

  What hosts should do: Use the current March 2026 packages; confirm with sta@pecounty.on.ca.

  Source

• September 12, 2023

  By-law 144-2023 (and 107-2023) amended By-law 108-2021 (occupancy 2 persons per room + 1 child under 10; private-road emergency services; etc.)

  What hosts should do: Check occupancy and private-road service rules.

  Source

• September 20, 2022

  Council approved program changes: Primary/Secondary residence categories, no new secondary (whole-home) licences, new AMPs, Fire Code self-attestation

  What hosts should do: Only primary-residence or B&B licences are obtainable for new applicants; include licence number in all ads; submit Fire Code self-attestation.

  Source

Sources

• By-law 108-2021 office consolidation (amended through 144-2023, 2023-09-12) (page updated PDF created 2025-02-10; consolidation shows amendments 167-2022, 107-2023, 144-2023)
• Short-Term Accommodations (landing page) (page updated no date shown (footer 2026))
• Primary Residence STA page (AMP table, renewal, inspections) (page updated no date shown; application packages dated March 2026)
• Secondary Residence STA page (page updated no date shown; packages dated March 2026)
• STA FAQ (page updated no date shown)
• County news: updates to STA licensing program (page updated 2022-10-11)
• Municipal Accommodation Tax (page updated no date shown)

General information for hosts, not legal or tax advice. This page summarises the official sources above as of November 12, 2026. Check the source and your town before you act. See an error? Tell us and we will re-check it.