BC rent increase limit 2026 (and 2027) — what landlords need to know

First, rent can be increased only once every 12 months. Official guidance counts that clock from when rent was first payable at the start of the tenancy, or from the last legal increase during the tenancy, whichever is later. A new landlord, a sale, or an assignment does not reset it.

Second, the tenant must receive at least three full months' written notice on the official Notice of Rent Increase — Form RTB-7. The notice has to state the exact dollar amount and the date the increase takes effect. The month the tenant receives the notice does not count as one of those three months.

Third, the increase must stay within that year's published limit. Landlords cannot round up when calculating the allowable amount. A smaller increase is legal. The first rent agreed for a new tenancy is not an increase.

These five checks are the high-level order for a regular annual increase on a residential rental unit. They are not a filled notice. Use the official Form RTB-7 from the Residential Tenancy Branch. Do not serve a homemade template from this site.

1. Confirm it has been at least 12 months since rent was first payable, or since the last legal increase, whichever is later. A new landlord, a sale, or an assignment does not reset that clock.
2. Confirm the published limit for the calendar year of the effective date. For a 2026 effective date the residential limit is 2.3%. For a 2027 effective date it is 2.2%.
3. Calculate the dollar amount without rounding up past the limit. Use the free BC rent increase calculator for an estimate. The Residential Tenancy Branch and the written notice control.
4. Serve written Form RTB-7 with the exact dollar amount and the effective date, at least three full months before that date. The month the tenant receives the notice does not count. Generate and complete the current form through the Residential Tenancy Branch. This page does not autofill it or ship a homemade template.
5. Confirm the current rules on the official RTB rent-increases page before you serve the notice.

This checklist is not an additional rent increase (RTB-52 / RTB-53) and it is not a manufactured-home-park increase. If someone else is helping you with notices for a fee, licensed rental property management is a separate BCFSA question. The hire vs self-manage page points to the current licensing pages. It is not a fee pitch.

No. You cannot bank unused percent. If you skipped a year, or you increased by less than the maximum last year, that leftover room does not add to this year's ceiling. Official guidance is that landlords may apply only the current year's published limit to the current lawful rent.

That is why a notice served late in one calendar year for an increase that takes effect in the next year uses the later year's rate. Confirm the current table on the official rent-increases page before you write the dollar amount on Form RTB-7.

This page does not rebuild the calculator. For a dollar estimate of the regular annual ceiling, and a check of the 12-month and three-full-month timing, use the free BC rent increase calculator. Enter the current lawful rent and the effective date you intend. The result is an estimate. The Residential Tenancy Branch and the written notice control.

That tool is for a residential rental unit under the Residential Tenancy Act. It is not an additional rent-increase calculator for capital expenditure (RTB-52 / RTB-53), and it is not a manufactured-home-park calculator. Additional increases need an RTB order or written tenant agreement. They are a separate official process.

This is not a blog post, a fee card, or a ranking of managers. It does not fill Form RTB-7, invent a notice template, or tell you to serve a homemade form. Generate and complete the current official notice through the Residential Tenancy Branch.

It also does not decide disputes, guarantee a rent, vacancy, or compliance outcome, or replace the Residential Tenancy Act. Confirm the official pages, or get qualified legal advice, before you act on a specific tenancy.

A lawful increase is only one part of holding a Burnaby or Greater Vancouver rental. If you want the broader landlord process — placement, deposits, repairs, entry, and records — start on the property management hub. Tenant placement and full management are different services; the tenant placement vs full management page compares those scopes. If the question is whether to keep the calendar yourself or hire licensed help, read Hire vs self-manage →

Selling the home is a different decision. The sell a tenanted home guide covers that path. It does not change the rent-increase limit.

Fees and availability are discussed for the specific property. They are not listed here, and this page does not guarantee vacancy, rent, or compliance. Rentals by Coldwell Banker Prestige — Alex Lam PREC — can review the increase process or the longer relationship after move-in. Request property management or talk to Alex.