Victoria – The Province is introducing regulation changes and enhanced web content to further improve services and increase the confidence of renters and landlords.
To access the new Residential Tenancy Branch guides and tool kits, and other information sheets, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/calculators-and-resources/information-sheets-resources
To access residential tenancy resources, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies
This includes:
- aligning notice periods to end a tenancy to be consistent with the recent change requiring homebuyers to give renters three months’ notice of eviction;
- creating more transparency for landlords and renters by publishing the outcomes of monetary orders;
- changing landlords’ requirements for holding onto a tenants’ abandoned property; and
- equipping landlords and renters with the guides and tool kits they need to better navigate hearings.
These changes build on significant improvements in Residential Tenancy Branch hearing wait times, reducing risk for renters and landlords, and ensuring faster resolutions when someone breaks the rules. These improvements have been funded through a $15.6-million investment to enhance services at the Residential Tenancy Branch.
Instead of waiting nearly three months for a hearing to resolve disputes for unpaid rent and utilities, these hearings are being heard in approximately a month. Among Canada’s provinces and territories, B.C. is now a national leader for low wait times for dispute-resolution hearings.
Regulation updates, changes to web content
Creating consistency for notice periods:
In summer 2025, the notice period to end a tenancy for a landlord’s personal use will be reduced from four months to three months. This change makes notice periods consistent and aligns with the recent change requiring homebuyers to give tenants three months’ notice of eviction.
Enabling informed decision-making for landlords and renters:
Beginning in summer 2025, the Residential Tenancy Branch will begin publishing monetary orders that arise from dispute resolution hearings. Monetary orders cover issues such as non-payment of rent or utilities, penalties issued against a landlord for illegally evicting a tenant in bad faith or for failing to make necessary repairs. Publishing monetary orders increases consistency with other B.C. tribunals and provinces, and ensures greater transparency for landlords and renters. This will support faster resolutions, as monetary orders will be viewable online and be easily confirmed as part of the process to ensure payments are made.
Changing requirements for abandoned property:
The time period and minimum dollar value of abandoned property that landlords are required to store has been adjusted and will come into effect on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The duration that landlords must store this property will be reduced from 60 to 30 days. The minimum dollar value worth of property for this requirement will also change, increasing from $500 to $1,000. This will provide relief to landlords who are required to store abandoned property when a tenant leaves and aligns B.C. with other provinces.
Enhancing support through guides and tool kits:
Through a new public-education team, the Residential Tenancy Branch is developing easy-to-access materials that will support landlords and tenants in navigating and preparing for hearings. Through this work, the Residential Tenancy Branch website now includes information sheets in several languages, easy-to-follow guides to collect on money owed or enforce an eviction, and a tool kit to help prepare for hearings, the first of many new features to come.
