Farm stay with tour and overnight room

Couples and families from nearby cities, tourists looking for a rural experience, and visitors from outside Canada.

A nightly rate per room or per cabin, often with a higher weekend price. Tours, meals and farm products can be added to the booking.

• Welcoming hosting
• Keeping rooms clean and comfortable
• Planning bookings
• Sharing farm knowledge with visitors

• Short-term rental and accommodation rules, which differ by municipality and province, so check before taking bookings (Quebec has its own tourist accommodation requirements)
• Zoning and agricultural land rules for guest accommodation on farmland
• Fire safety, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and building code requirements for sleeping guests
• Insurance that covers paying overnight guests, as a standard farm or home policy may not
• Serving breakfast may need approval from your local public health unit
• Check provincial or local accommodation taxes and GST/HST obligations
• Slow winter months, so check your cash flow across the whole year

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the room or cabin you offer and the safety and fit-out work needed. Monthly revenue is typically estimated around $1,000 to $5,000.

Check short-term rental and accommodation rules in your municipality and province (Quebec has its own tourist accommodation requirements), plus zoning, fire safety and alarm requirements, and insurance covering paying overnight guests. Also check accommodation taxes and GST/HST.

Winter months can be slow, so check your cash flow across the whole year. Estimates suggest at least about 10 hours a week, and serving breakfast may need approval from your local public health unit.