Airbnb Management in Cochrane

The Town puts Cochrane 35 minutes northwest of downtown Calgary, where Highway 1A meets Highway 22, about 25 minutes from Calgary International Airport and about 75 minutes from Banff. It sits between the Canadian Rockies and Calgary on the Bow River, and the Town describes its downtown as reflecting its western heritage, with views of the Foothills and the Rockies.

That position is the market. Cochrane suits guests who want the mountains within a day trip and the city within the hour: families visiting relatives, couples on their way to Banff and people in the area for work. Mitford Park, a 34-hectare regional park on the Bow's north bank, adds something to do without getting in the car for long.

Seasonality

Expect summer, when mountain trips peak, to be the busiest season, and winter to be quieter. Cochrane's rules also shape what you can sell: no more than two adults per room and one booking at a time (see the rules below), so the homes that work best have bedrooms laid out for a family or a small group. We don't publish income or occupancy figures; your assessment looks at your home.

As of October 2026, every short-term rental in Cochrane needs a Town business licence, including homes listed on Airbnb and Vrbo. The Town licenses them as a Home-Based Business licence (Home Occupation Type 2), issued by calendar year and expiring December 31. Its Business Licence Bylaw 22/2018 defines a short-term rental as a stay of 30 days or less and sets these rules:

• A fire inspection for every short-term rental. The Town charges nothing for it, but all Town development and building permits must be signed off first.
• No renting a room that has no egress window.
• No more than two adults per room; minors aren't counted.
• No overlapping bookings, and no renting separate rooms to separate guests under separate reservations.
• Your licence number in all advertising, and a posted 24-hour emergency contact (name, phone and email).

The licence fee is $180 a year for residents and $340 for non-residents, prorated monthly after January 31. A rental that meets the definition of an accessory suite or a bed and breakfast also needs a development permit for that use. For other rentals the Town's pages aren't clear on whether a permit applies, so ask the Town before you apply.

Provincial and federal rules

These apply across Alberta as of October 2026:

• Tourism levy. Alberta's tourism levy is 6% on stays booked after March 31, 2026. Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo collect and remit it on bookings where they collect or facilitate payment; otherwise, generally whoever collects the guest's payment remits it. It doesn't apply when the same guest stays 28 days or more in a row.
• GST. GST applies to stays of less than a month. Generally, a host with more than $30,000 of gross revenue over four calendar quarters must register, collect and remit it.
• Income tax. Under section 67.7 of the Income Tax Act, a rental of under 90 consecutive days loses its expense deductions for any days it runs where it isn't permitted, or without a required licence or permit. In Cochrane, that means the business licence protects your deductions as well as your listing.

Who holds what

You hold the business licence, your insurance and your tax registrations. We put your licence number on every listing, keep one calendar across every channel so bookings don't overlap, set guest limits to the two-adults-per-room rule and handle guest messages, including after-hours issues. See licensing and compliance.