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ITMP 2030 Dashboard

Develop a Balanced Approach to Short-Term Rental Regulation

Key Players

  Lead Organization

  • Halifax Regional Municipality
  • Province of Nova Scotia

  Partners

  • Discover Halifax
  • Short-Term Rental Association of Nova Scotia (STRANS)

Stage

  • Explore & Define
  • Planning
  • Delivery
  • Completion

● Planning

A full plan is created and mapped, including timelines, tasks, and responsibilities. A lead is identified, and the other people and resources are lined up. A project moves to the next stage when the plan is clear, realistic, and ready to guide the work.

Overview

Developing fair, transparent short-term rental policies is essential to balancing tourism needs with housing priorities. Short-term rentals contribute valuable accommodation diversity, an essential factor in attracting today’s travellers. A well-structured framework can benefit visitors, local hosts, and the broader community by ensuring options remain varied, safe, and competitive. Expanding the supply and the choice of accommodations, particularly during peak seasons and in emerging rural and remote destinations across the Halifax region, will strengthen the tourism sector while supporting sustainable community development.

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Project Updates

Planning changes support housing supply

February 2026

In effort to elevate and support tourism as an economic driver in rural areas, amendments were proposed to the 2014 Regional Plan, including policy to support increased small-scale commercial opportunities and home-based businesses, such as small-scale short-term accommodations, in rural parts of the municipality.

Halifax Regional Council held a Public Hearing in December 2025 on the proposed amendments, which would establish short-term rental regulations for six rural plan areas. The amendments were approved and referred to the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for approval.

In February 2026, in accordance with the requirements of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, approval was granted by the province for the municipality to proceed.

Amendments to the Land Use By-Laws in six rural areas of HRM will now permit up to one dwelling unit per lot to be used as a short-term rental, provided all other requirements of the Land Use By-Law are met. For more details on changes to support rural short-term rentals, please click here.

Regional Plan amendments and short-term rental context

January 2026

On December 11, 2025, Halifax Regional Council held a public hearing for proposed amendments to the Regional and Secondary Municipal Planning Strategies, Land Use By-laws, and the Regional Subdivision By-law. Brian White, Vice President of Destination Development at Discover Halifax, appeared before Council to provide input on the tourism and economic context related to short-term rentals (STRs), with a particular focus on rural HRM.

Key accomplishments from this milestone include:

  • Council approval achieved: Halifax Regional Council approved the proposed amendments following the public hearing. The amendments are now awaiting final approval from the Province.
  • Tourism and economic context formally on record: Discover Halifax provided Council with clear, data-informed context on the role of STRs within HRM’s broader accommodation system, including their contribution to visitor spending (approximately $330 million annually) and hotel levy revenues (over $2.5 million per year).
  • Rural accommodation gap clearly articulated: The presentation reinforced that many rural areas (particularly Eastern Shore and Musquodoboit Valley) have strong natural and cultural assets, but limited traditional accommodation supply, constraining tourism activity despite clear demand.
  • Alignment with ITMP 2030 reinforced: The discussion explicitly connected accommodation supply, including STRs, to the Halifax Regional Integrated Tourism Master Plan’s vision for Eastern HRM as a signature rural escape.
  • Policy implications clarified: Council was provided with a balanced perspective on how regulated STR frameworks can support rural resilience, local business activity, reinvestment in housing stock, and year-round visitation when aligned with community objectives and enforcement capacity.

This step represents a significant advancement in aligning land-use policy with HRM’s tourism and economic development goals, pending provincial confirmation.


Strategic Themes

  • Make It Easy To Get Here and Visit
  • Develop Responsible Tourism
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