BC Rental Rules — Canonical Reference

Maximum allowable rent increase for existing tenancies in 2026 calendar year. Set annually by the Residential Tenancy Branch in November of the prior year, indexed to CPI but capped to mitigate housing affordability pressure. The 2026 value of 2.3% reflects the publicly-reported figure; this fact should be re-verified directly against the BC RTB rent-increase page each calendar year because the cap is one of the most volatile YMYL numbers on the site.

Effective July 18, 2024, landlords serving a Notice of End of Tenancy for personal/family use must give 4 months notice (up from 2) and the new occupant (landlord, close family member, or purchaser) must occupy the rental unit for at least 12 months. Failure to occupy = right to compensation of 12 months' rent. Also introduces a web portal for issuing eviction notices to combat fraudulent personal-use evictions.

Effective May 1, 2024 in most BC municipalities. Short-term rentals (under 90 consecutive nights) are restricted to the operator's principal residence, plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on that property. Exempts certain resort-area municipalities (e.g. Whistler) and First Nations land. Provincial registry now mandatory; platforms (Airbnb, VRBO) must validate listings against the registry.