Can a BC landlord increase rent above the annual cap?

Direct answer

Generally no — the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) caps annual rent increases for existing tenancies at the maximum allowable rate published yearly by the BC Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). The cap ties to inflation; for 2026 the maximum is published annually — verify the exact current-year figure against the live RTB rent-increase page. A landlord may only raise rent ONCE in any 12-month period and must give 3 full months' written notice using RTB Form RTB-7. Three narrow exceptions allow above-cap increases: (1) Application for Additional Rent Increase to the RTB — a landlord may apply for a hearing arguing the cap is insufficient to recover unusually high cost increases (e.g., a >50% property-tax jump, a major capital improvement); approval is rare and requires substantial documentation. (2) Vacancy resets — when a tenancy ENDS and a new tenant moves in, the landlord can re-list at any market rent. The cap applies only to the existing tenancy. (3) Non-RTA tenancies (commercial, hotels, transient accommodation, certain supportive-housing categories) are not covered by the cap. Practitioner truth: most "above-cap" rent increases are illegal — tenants can dispute them through the RTB and the increase is unenforceable. Bill 14 (2024) tightened the related "personal use" eviction rules, making it harder for landlords to convert below-market tenancies through eviction.