Airbnb and short-term rental rules in Mulgrave, 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. Short-term rental is a permitted use in the Residential First Density zone, with no condition that the operator live there. The Residential Rural zone doesn't list it.
Can I?
The home you live in (as Mulgrave’s by-law defines it)In some zones
The Town of Mulgrave, Nova Scotia, adopted a Land-Use By-Law amendment on 18 Feb 2025 that adds short-term rentals as a permitted use in its Residential First Density zone, with no condition that the operator live in the dwelling. For the provincial registration, the Town issues a Proof of Compliance letter.
Only land inside the Town's boundary follows these rules. A Mulgrave mailing address doesn't settle which municipality a property is in: the property tax bill names it, and the Town Office or the District's office can confirm it.
Is a short-term rental allowed here?
Across the unit
The home you live in (as Mulgrave’s by-law defines it)In some zonesA permitted use in the Residential First Density (R-1) zone: the building rented to one party in each rental period, for up to 28 consecutive days. Renting rooms in the home the operator lives in is a separate use, a Bed & Breakfast Establishment, also permitted in R-1.
A home you don’t live inIn some zonesA permitted use in the Residential First Density (R-1) zone on the same terms; the amendment sets no condition that the operator live in the dwelling. The Residential Rural (RR-1), Mini Home Park (R-3), industrial and open-space zones don't list it.
“THAT the Town of Mulgrave approve an amendment to the Land-Use By-Law to add Short Term Rentals as a permitted use in R-1 (Residential First Density) Zones. Short Term Rentals are defined as the use of a dwelling unit for overnight accommodations where guest sleeping facilities are contained within one building on a lot and where the building and facilities on the lot are rented to only one party during each rental period, such rental period not to exceed 28 consecutive days.”
The amendment adds one use to one zone. The by-law's Residential Multiple Unit zone permits every use of the Residential First Density zone, so it may carry the new use too, but the amendment names only the first zone. Ask the Town Office whether it reads short-term rentals as permitted in both. What we haven't confirmed yet →
The rural residential, mini home park, industrial and open-space zones list no accommodation use. Both commercial zones list hotels and motels, and the second, C-2, adds other tourist establishments too. How a rental on a given lot is classified is the Development Officer's decision: Town of Mulgrave, Town Office (planning inquiries and Proof of Compliance letters), 902-747-2243, contact page.
The letter is how the Town confirms that a rental complies with its Land-Use By-Law; Council's minutes record owners asking for it for their provincial registration. Ask the Town Office how to apply, whether it charges a fee and how long it takes, and whether a development permit is needed as well. What we haven't confirmed yet →
Steps and costs
Check the zone of the lot and confirm the use with Town of Mulgrave, Town Office (planning inquiries and Proof of Compliance letters), 902-747-2243, contact page.
Proof of Compliance letter, from Town of Mulgrave, Town Office. 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)
Proof of Compliance letter
isn’t published
isn’t published
Provincial registration
$50 a year
$240 per unit a year
First year, municipal and provincial
No total: the Proof of Compliance letter fee isn’t published
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 Mulgrave’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 Mulgrave’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; $240 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.
The Town of Mulgrave is in tier 3 of the Province's Schedule A. A commercial short-term rental (a home you don't live in) pays the tier 3 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
Whether the Short Term Rentals amendment reaches the Residential Multiple Unit (R-2) zone. The amendment names the Residential First Density (R-1) zone only; the by-law's R-2 zone permits all uses permitted in the R-1 zone. Ask the Town Office whether it reads short-term rentals as permitted in R-2. (checked 28 Sep 2026 · source)
The Proof of Compliance letter's application, fee and processing time. Council's minutes record owners asking the Town for these letters for the provincial registration. Ask the Town Office how to apply, whether there is a fee and how long the letter takes. (checked 28 Sep 2026 · source)
Whether starting a short-term rental needs a development permit. The Land-Use By-Law says no land or building may be used without one; the Town's building and planning page lists building-permit fees only. Ask the Town Office whether a development permit is needed as well as the Proof of Compliance letter. (checked 28 Sep 2026 · source)
Whether renting part of a building the owner also lives in, such as a suite or rooms, fits the amendment's definition, which has the building and its facilities rented to one party in each rental period. Rooms in the owner's home are a separate use, a Bed & Breakfast Establishment. Ask the Town Office how it classifies a suite in a home the owner lives in. (checked 28 Sep 2026 · source)
When the amendment took effect. Council passed it on 18 Feb 2025 and the Town's notice of adoption is dated 21 Feb 2025. Ask the Town Office for the date it took effect and for the Land-Use By-Law text that includes it. (checked 28 Sep 2026 · source)
District of Guysborough: the separate municipality around the town, with its own land-use by-law, sharing building inspection and planning with the Town.
Does Mulgrave's by-law require the host to live in the rental?
No: the amendment that adds short-term rentals as a permitted use in the Residential First Density zone sets no condition that the operator live in the dwelling. Is a short-term rental allowed here? →
Is Mulgrave's registration fee really lower than nearby towns'?
Only for a commercial short-term rental (a home you don't live in): the Province's fee schedule puts the Town of Mulgrave in tier 3, at $240 per unit a year, while the District of Guysborough around the town and the other nearby municipalities are in the tier where the commercial fee is $500. The home you live in pays $50 a year anywhere in the province, and a personal vacation home, kept mainly for your own use, pays the traditional rate of $50, or $150 with five or more bedrooms, wherever it is. The regulations list the tiers without giving reasons. Provincial registration →
What does the Town of Mulgrave issue for the provincial registration?
A Proof of Compliance letter, the Town's confirmation that a rental complies with its Land-Use By-Law; the Town has no short-term rental licence. Ask Town of Mulgrave, Town Office (planning inquiries and Proof of Compliance letters), 902-747-2243, contact page how to apply, whether it charges a fee and how long the letter takes. Municipal step →