A six-step process:
1. Planning Department – They look at the zoning of the property to see if it is zoned for a Vacation Rental. These zones include: R1.0, R1.1, R3.3, R3.4, R3.5, R3.6, R3.7, CD5, CD9, CD15, CD18, and AG1.1. The Town of Comox zoning map can be found on this webpage.
2. Building Department – They check to see if there is a Building Permit for a Secondary Suite or Coach House. If there is no Building Permit, the applicant needs to talk to the Building Inspector to obtain one. Their number is 250-339-2259.
3. Fire Department – They check for fire safety issues, and they speak to the owner about fire safety. The Fire Department calls the applicant to set up an in-person inspection.
4. Bylaw Officer – They call to book an in-person inspection to ensure that applicants are following the conditions found on page 34 in the Zoning Bylaw. The Bylaw Officer also checks to see if it is indeed a Vacation Rental, and not a Bed and Breakfast (conditions found on page 12 in the Zoning Bylaw).
5. Business Licence Inspector – They review all the comments from the departments above and, if there are no issues, the application is approved and sent to the Finance Department for issuing.
6. Finance Department – Once they receive the application, they create the Business Licence and contact the applicant for payment, which is $300. Once the payment is received, the Business Licence is issued to the applicant.
This is a lengthy process, and it currently takes around 2 months to complete. This depends on how busy each department is and the availability of the applicant to confirm.