Airbnb and short-term rental rules in the District of Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Written by Casa Scotia, a Nova Scotia short-term rental manager. Not affiliated with any municipality or the Province. How we keep our interest out of it →
At a glance
It depends on the zone, and the zone is only the first test. A non-resident whole-home rental is a commercial short-term rental, permitted in four zones and conditionally in Rural Resource; renting a room in your own home is permitted in every zone.
Can I?
The home you live in (as District of Shelburne’s by-law defines it)Allowed
The Municipality of the District of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, writes short-term rentals into its Land Use By-law and sorts them by the host's primary residence: rooms rented in the home the host lives in are one use, and a home that isn't the host's primary residence is a Commercial Short-Term Rental.
The Town of Shelburne and the Town of Lockeport are separate municipalities, each with its own land-use by-law. The property tax bill names the municipality a property is in. Nearby and often confused →
Is a short-term rental allowed here?
Across the unit
The home you live in (as District of Shelburne’s by-law defines it)AllowedA room in the host's primary residence is a Rented Room, permitted in all seven zones; a bed and breakfast in the host's primary residence is permitted in the Rural Development, Rural Resource, Rural Commercial, Residential and Suburban Commercial zones.
A home you don’t live inIn some zonesA whole home that is not the host's primary residence is a Commercial Short-Term Rental, permitted in the Rural Development, Rural Commercial, Residential and Suburban Commercial zones, marked P* in Rural Resource, and not listed in the two industrial zones.
one bedroom or one dwelling unit within the structure in short-term rental use at any time (s.18(b))
“SECTION 18. SHORT TERM RENTALS a. Commercial short term rentals, vacation homes and rented rooms are permitted in all residential uses, subject to other requirements of this Bylaw. b. The owner of a single unit dwelling or two-unit dwelling or an accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted to provide a maximum of one bedroom or one dwelling unit within said residential structure for short term rental use at any time. c. Short term rentals shall be registered as per the Short-Term Rental Registration Act. || Part 2, 101. SHORT-TERM RENTAL means all accommodation uses licensed under the Short-Term Rental Act used mainly for the reception of the traveling or vacationing public and is provided as temporary accommodation for compensation rented out for less than 28 days. ... b. COMMERCIAL SHORT-TERM RENTAL means a short-term rental that is one of the following: i. A dwelling unit that is not the hosts primary residence. ii. A room or rooms that are a separate accommodation in a dwelling unit that is not at the hosts primary residence.”
A Rented Room or a bed and breakfast is in the home the host lives in. A Commercial Short-Term Rental is a dwelling, or rooms in a dwelling, that isn't the host's primary residence, and the by-law's use table permits it in some zones only. The by-law defines neither "host" nor "primary residence".
Ask Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page how the by-law applies to a property in the Rural Resource or Marine Industrial zone, to a two-unit dwelling, or to a whole home rented while the host is away, before applying to the Province.
Municipal step
Ask Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page which document it issues for provincial registration.
The District's Permits and Forms page asks anyone with a short-term rental in the Municipality to complete its Zoning Letter Request Form. Ask the municipal office whether starting a rental also needs a development permit before applying to the Province.
Steps and costs
Check the zone of the lot and confirm the use with Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page.
Ask Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page which document it issues for provincial registration.Details
Then register each unit with the Province and show the number on every listing. The provincial checklist →
What it costs an owner
Cost
The home you live in
Commercial short-term rental (a home you don’t live in)
Provincial registration
$50 a year
$500 per unit a year
First year, municipal and provincial
$50
$500
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see both columns.
A personal vacation home (a home you don’t live in, kept mainly for your own use; 150 rental days per registration year; an applicant may register only one personal vacation home) registers as a traditional tourist accommodation instead: $50, or $150 with five or more bedrooms a year (Regulations s.2(1), s.14).
The levy and HST are charged to guests, not owners; they are in Marketing levy.
Marketing levy
None found
We found no marketing levy in District of Shelburne’s by-laws or council notices (checked 28 Sep 2026).
Provincial registration
Register each unit with the Province before advertising it. The first application includes District of Shelburne’s land-use document; a renewal doesn’t need it again unless the Province asks.
Fee here: $50 a year for the home you live in; $500 per unit a year for a commercial short-term rental (a home you don’t live in); a personal vacation home pays the traditional rate, $50 or $150.
Show the registration number on every listing, and renew by April 1 each year.
Municipality of the District of Shelburne is in tier 2 of the Province's Schedule A. A commercial short-term rental (a home you don't live in) pays the tier 2 fee per unit each year. A personal vacation home, kept mainly for its owner's use, pays the lower traditional rate, and a primary residence the primary-residence fee.
Source · checked 28 Sep 2026 · Confirmed in source
What we haven't confirmed yet
Ask the Development Officer whether a commercial short-term rental in the Rural Resource zone carries any condition; the use table points to a section that sets none. (checked 6 Oct 2026 · source)
Ask the Development Officer whether a development permit is needed to start a short-term rental in an existing dwelling; the by-law treats a change of use as development. (checked 6 Oct 2026 · source)
Ask the Development Officer how the one-unit rule applies to a two-unit dwelling in commercial short-term rental use. (checked 6 Oct 2026 · source)
Email me when District of Shelburne’s rules change
Frequently asked questions
What is the District of Shelburne's Zoning Letter Request Form?
It is the form the District's Permits and Forms page asks anyone with a short-term rental in the Municipality to complete. Before applying to the Province, ask Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page which document it issues for provincial registration, and whether a fee applies. Municipal step →
Does starting a short-term rental in the District of Shelburne need a development permit?
Section 18 of the Land Use By-law doesn't say. Ask Municipality of the District of Shelburne, municipal office, 902-875-3544, contact page whether starting a rental needs a development permit before applying to the Province. Municipal step →
Which provincial fee tier is the District of Shelburne in?
Tier 2 of the Province's fee schedule, which sets only a commercial short-term rental's fee. The Town of Shelburne and the Town of Lockeport are in a lower-fee tier, so for a commercial rental near either town, the municipality the property is in decides the fee. Provincial registration →