What Landlords Cannot Do in Vancouver
by Platuni | 23 Sep, 2026 | 5 mins read
Platuni
23 September, 2026
5 mins read
#1. Raise rent above the annual allowable increase
One increase every 12 months, and it doesn't take effect until three full months after you've served written notice on the approved form. For 2026 the ceiling is 2.3%, reset annually against the Consumer Price Index. Some provinces exempt newer buildings from their rent caps. BC doesn't: a unit finished last month is capped exactly the same as one built in 1962.
An increase you skip disappears. Miss 2025 and that percentage doesn't roll into 2026's allowance; it's just gone.
[Cite: Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78, s 42; Residential Tenancy Regulation, BC Reg 477/2003]
#2. End a tenancy without the right notice and grounds
Every landlord-issued notice needs a specific reason and a matching notice period, and serving the wrong one is the single most common way an eviction falls apart at dispute resolution.
Non-payment gets ten days, and the tenant kills the notice just by paying in full within five of those. A material breach, repeated late rent, or illegal activity calls for a One Month Notice, which the tenant can dispute within ten days. Planning to move in yourself, or has a buyer asked you to end the tenancy so they can move in? That's three months' notice plus a month's rent, and "you" in that sentence covers a spouse, parent, or child too.
Demolition, renovation, or conversion moves slower: four months, permits already in hand, thirty days for the tenant to dispute. If they want back in once the work's done, you owe them first refusal on the unit, forty-five days' notice it's ready, and a new tenancy agreement to sign. Skip that step and the compensation can run to a year's rent.
[Cite: Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78, ss 46, 47, 49]
#3. Hold a deposit above the limit, or skip the interest
Half a month's rent. That's the ceiling on a security deposit in BC, and a separate pet damage deposit can add another half month on top, never more than one month combined. You can't charge a pet deposit against a certified service or guide animal. Both deposits earn annual interest at whatever rate the province publishes; for 2026 that's 0%, though the obligation to calculate it doesn't go away just because the number is small.
Once the tenant moves out and hands you a forwarding address in writing, the clock gives you 15 days to return the deposit with interest, get their written consent to deduct from it, or file a dispute. Miss that window and they can claim double the deposit back.
[Cite: Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78, ss 17–20, 38]
#4. Enter the unit without proper notice
At least 24 hours and no more than 30 days before entry, in writing, stating the date, the time, and a reasonable purpose. The entry itself has to land between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless the tenant agrees otherwise. Housekeeping already written into the tenancy agreement, an abandoned unit, and an order from the Residential Tenancy Branch are the exceptions where notice isn't required. An emergency is the only one that needs none at all.
[Cite: Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78, s 29]
#5. Operate without a valid business licence
Renting a unit in Vancouver for 90 days or more takes a Long-Term Rental Business Licence from the city, on top of everything the province already requires, even when a property manager runs the day-to-day. The city's Licence By-law ties Residential Tenancy Act compliance directly to that licence: violate the Act and you risk the licence itself, not just a provincial complaint against you. Fines run $250 to $10,000 per day. One or two lodgers inside your own home is exempt; three or more tenants in a house you don't live in generally isn't.
Buildings heading into redevelopment or major renovation pick up one more city-specific layer. Vancouver's Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy can add relocation support on top of what the province's four-month notice already covers.
[Cite: City of Vancouver Licence By-law No. 4450, ss 3(1), 6(5), 19.1]
#6. Screen or reject an applicant on a protected ground
You can verify that an applicant's income covers the rent. You can't base a decision on where that income comes from. The BC Human Rights Code protects lawful source of income alongside race, family status, disability, and the other familiar grounds, so turning someone down for receiving disability assistance or a housing subsidy is discrimination, not caution. A credit check needs the applicant's written consent, and you're the one who pays for it, not them.
[Cite: Human Rights Code, RSBC 1996, c 210, s 10(1)]
Frequently asked questions on what landlords cannot do in Vancouver
How much can a landlord raise the rent in Vancouver?
Only once every 12 months, and only up to the provincial cap for the year the increase takes effect: 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027. The notice has to be on Form RTB-7 and served at least three full months before the new rent starts. Vancouver doesn't set a separate cap of its own.
Do I need a business licence to rent out a condo or basement suite in Vancouver?
Yes, if you rent it for 90 days or more. Vancouver requires a Long-Term Rental Business Licence even when a property manager handles the day-to-day, and fines for renting without one run from $250 to $10,000 per day. One or two lodgers living inside your own home are exempt.
How much notice does a BC landlord need to give before entering a rental unit?
At least 24 hours and no more than 30 days, in writing, with the date, time and a reasonable purpose. Entry has to happen between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. unless the tenant agrees otherwise. An emergency is the only situation where no notice is needed at all.
Can a landlord refuse a tenant who receives income assistance?
No. The BC Human Rights Code protects lawful source of income, so turning someone down because they receive disability assistance or a housing subsidy is discrimination. You can still check that the applicant's income covers the rent, as long as you apply the same standard to everyone.
How much notice do I need to give if I want to move into my own rental?
Three months, on the approved form, plus one month's rent in compensation to the tenant. The tenant has 21 days to dispute it. You or a close family member must then live in the unit for at least 12 months, or you can be ordered to pay the tenant a year's rent.
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