Kelowna is a well-known destination for tourists in the summer months, and people are staying in vacation rentals more frequently than ever before. People are visiting the Okanagan for the wineries, beaches, boating, and the hot weather in the summer months, making it the California of Canada. In the off season, the wineries are still popular and then Big White, one of North America’s largest ski resorts, is the big draw for the winter months. In addition to the tourists, Kelowna hosts over 40 national and international sporting events, and Kelowna International Airport is the 9th busiest airport in Canada with over 800,000 passengers traveling through it. Tourism Kelowna states that tourism generates over $2 billion a year.
All those visitors need places to stay. Kelowna hotels had an annual occupancy rate of around 50% in 2021, and generated nearly $100 million between hotels and vacation rentals. The full report is available online.
Vacation Rental Data
Vacation rentals offer a greater variety in the types of accommodations than hotels can and are growing in popularity in Kelowna. According to AirDNA, Kelowna had around 1600 active listings on AirBnB and VRBO during the summer months of 2021. Occupancy rates peaked at 94% in July, and the average daily rate (ADR) was $347.00. AirDNA has reports available for all cities. Here is the report for Kelowna and West Kelowna.
The city of Kelowna does have some limits on where short term vacation rentals can be located and operated. In addition, there is an annual business license per property. For example, not all condo buildings are licensed for short-term rentals. Some of the more popular ones that allow it include Playa del Sol, Waterscapes, Brooklyn, 1215 St. Paul, Barona Beach, and some condo buildings in Quail Ridge. It will be important to review the city website for all the details.
Alternatively, and a far better option, is to contact a vacation rental manager. There are lots of companies in the city that specialize in short-term rentals. They all need to be licensed to operate in the city, and some offer design services. They will be more than happy to answer your questions and work with you. Short-term rentals are a great investment to make in Kelowna.
Vacation Rental Managers
Amanda at How to Host specializes in revamping spaces and then managing them in the short-term. She does everything from condos downtown to luxury homes. She currently manages Jillian Harris’ condo downtown. You can see her portfolio on her site. Most of those spaces she renovated.
Deana specializes in revenue management to maximize revenues for income properties. She manages units throughout Kelowna, homes and condos. She also offers design work at Keys to Kelowna.
Locations is a full team managing the property. They are better suited for something that is a turn-key operation (i.e. ready to go) because I don’t believe they offer design services. They handle condos primarily, at Playa del Sol, Discovery Bay, Waterscapes, etc.
Kimberly has a strong background in design, marketing, and hospitality. At Roam, she manages your vacation rental and can handle any design newsHer and her husband also operate Wolverine Industries that does extensive renovations for a lot of restaurant and retail stores in Kelowna.