Real estate decision guide

Can I sell a tenanted home in B.C.?

Yes. You can sell a tenanted home in British Columbia. The tenancy continues, and the buyer becomes the new landlord on the same terms. Vacant possession is only available when the buyer or a close family member will live there, through a three month RTB-32P or RTB-32L notice, with one month's rent as compensation. Showings need written notice or the tenant's permission.

Last verified: 13 October 2026 PT.

Alex Lam PREC plans the listing and the marketing for an occupied home through Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty, for owners in Burnaby, New Westminster, Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities. The Burnaby order of operations, including a tenanted sale, is how to sell a house in Burnaby. This page is general education, not legal advice.

By Alex Lam

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Burnaby and Greater Vancouver home exterior

Yes, you can sell while the home is tenanted.

A tenancy does not block a sale. You can list, accept an offer, and complete a transfer while a tenant lives in the home. The official sell a rental property page says the tenancy continues when a landlord plans to sell, and that a landlord cannot end a tenancy because they want to sell.

Once the property is sold, the buyer becomes the new landlord and the tenancy continues on the same terms. The buyer and the tenants do not need to sign a new tenancy agreement, though they may if both agree. If neither the seller nor the buyer serves a proper notice to end tenancy, the tenancy continues under the original agreement.

The same provincial rules apply to a rented house, townhouse, or condo in Burnaby, New Westminster, Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities. When the rental is a strata lot, the Form B Information Certificate belongs in the file, along with the Burnaby strata document review guide. Neighbourhood context for a Burnaby listing is on the Burnaby real estate guide and the Burnaby realtor service page. If the plan is to keep the tenancy and hire help, see Burnaby property management.

Alex walks through the listing sequence on real estate services and in the Sell With Confidence Seminar.

If your buyer wants vacant possession: the order of operations.

This is the seller-side sequence when the buyer, or a close family member, will live in the home and the seller serves RTB-32P. If the buyer takes possession first, the new landlord serves RTB-32L after possession. Both notices are three month notices. A purchaser, in Policy Guideline 2A, is someone who has agreed to purchase at least 1/2 of the full reversionary interest.

Path B — Purchaser (or close family) occupancy ending

The offer discloses the tenancy. BCFSA says the contract of purchase and sale has to reflect the tenancy and whether the buyer is to receive vacant possession.
All subjects are removed. The purchaser's written request applies only once the seller has entered a good-faith agreement to sell and all conditions on which the sale depends are satisfied. That limit is in Policy Guideline 2A and section 49 of the Residential Tenancy Act.
The buyer gives the seller a written request to end the tenancy because the buyer, or a close family member, intends in good faith to occupy the rental unit. For RTB-32P, that request comes before the buyer takes possession. See sell a rental property.
The seller generates the Three Month Notice to End Tenancy for Purchaser's Use (RTB-32P) on the Residential Tenancy Branch web portal and serves it. Serving this notice cannot be a condition of the sale. A notice other than a generated RTB-32P or RTB-32L is legally unenforceable.
The tenant has 21 days to apply for dispute resolution after receiving the three month notice (RTB-32P or RTB-32L).
Compensation equal to one month's rent is paid on or before the notice's effective date. It is owed even if the tenant leaves early. The tenant may instead withhold the last month's rent.
Set completion and possession so the notice period has run. The notice is a three month notice. Section 49 says the tenant must vacate the rental unit by the effective date of the notice. When the contract promises vacant possession, the possession date has to fall on or after that effective date.
Address the security deposit and pet damage deposit in the contract or the closing settlement. The owner at move-out returns the deposit, so the buyer may become responsible.

If the tenancy is a fixed term, section 49 says the notice's effective date is not earlier than the date specified as the end of the tenancy. Residential Tenancy Act.

Policy Guideline 2A says section 49(6.1) prohibits ending a tenancy for personal occupancy if the rental unit is in a building that contains 5 or more rental units and is not strata-titled, or is strata-titled with all rental units owned by the same owner.

Selling with a tenant at a glance.

Current purchaser-use and landlord-use notices, from the sell a rental property page and Policy Guideline 2A. Last verified: 13 October 2026 PT.

Selling with a tenant at a glance
Fact	Official rule
Notice type	Three Month Notice to End Tenancy for Purchaser's Use (RTB-32P), or Three Month Notice to End Tenancy for Landlord's Use (RTB-32L). Sell a rental property.
Length	Three month. Policy Guideline 2A says that period applies to purchaser-occupancy notices received on or after August 21, 2024, and to landlord-occupancy notices received on or after June 18, 2025.
Who serves	The seller (current landlord) serves RTB-32P. The new landlord serves RTB-32L after taking possession. On the seller's behalf, the seller or a rental property management licensee may serve. BCFSA. A trading-services-only licensee does not serve the notice for the client. BCFSA licensee information.
When it can be served	RTB-32P: the buyer's written request comes before the buyer takes possession, and only after a good-faith sale agreement and all conditions on which the sale depends are satisfied. RTB-32L: after the buyer takes possession. Sell a rental property and Policy Guideline 2A. "Purchaser" means a person who has agreed to purchase at least 1/2 of the full reversionary interest.
Tenant dispute window	21 days to apply for dispute resolution after receiving a three month notice (RTB-32P or RTB-32L). Sell a rental property.
Compensation	One month's rent, paid on or before the effective date. Owed even if the tenant leaves early. The tenant may instead withhold the last month's rent. Sell a rental property.
Form source	Generated through the Residential Tenancy Branch web portal. Any other form is legally unenforceable. Sell a rental property and tenancy forms.

Close family, in Policy Guideline 2A, means a parent, spouse, or child, or the parent or child of the landlord's spouse. A landlord cannot end a tenancy under section 49 so a sibling, a sibling's child (for example a niece), a parent's sibling (for example an aunt), or another relative can move in. The sell a rental property page describes that group as the father, mother, or child of the landlord or the landlord's spouse, and says it does not mean a brother or sister of the landlord or of the landlord's spouse.

Occupy means occupy for a residential purpose. The sell-a-rental-property page says a landlord can end a tenancy when they, their close family member, a purchaser, or the purchaser's close family member intend in good faith to use the rental unit as living accommodation. The types of evictions page says that after the tenancy ends, that person must live in the rental unit for at least 12 months, beginning within a reasonable period after the effective date of the notice. Guideline 2A says the 12-month intention applies to notices given on or after April 3, 2024.

Listing with the tenancy in place.

Path A — List and sell with the tenancy in place

Path A is the default. Before photos or an offer, obtain the current written tenancy agreement and find out whether the tenants want to stay. The BCFSA listing and selling guideline treats that as the practical starting point so the contract can reflect the tenancy.

Confirm the current written tenancy agreement and any outstanding notices or deposits.
Decide the listing plan: photos, written access windows, and how the offer will treat the tenancy.
Give written notice, or get the tenant's permission, before every showing or open house. The official showings and open houses page is the rule for that entry.
Disclose the tenancy in the contract of purchase and sale. State whether the buyer is taking the tenancy or vacant possession, and promise vacant possession only when a lawful ending is available.
On completion, the buyer becomes the new landlord on the same terms unless a proper notice to end tenancy was served.
Address the security deposit and pet damage deposit in the contract or the closing settlement with the lawyer or notary.

The listing sequence lives on real estate services. If you keep the rental instead, see the Full comparison →.

Showings and open houses still have to respect quiet enjoyment.

The tenant has a legal right to peace and quiet while the tenancy continues. The official showings and open houses page says the landlord or their agent must provide written notice, or have the tenant's permission, to enter and show the unit to prospective buyers or to conduct an open house. That notice cannot be a text message.

If the tenant and landlord have not agreed on a schedule in writing, the landlord must give 24 hours written notice for each showing. The date and time of entry must be between 8 am and 9 pm unless the tenant agrees to another time. The landlord access page says written notice is given at least 24 hours, and not more than 30 days, before entry.

When a rental unit is shown to prospective buyers, the landlord or the landlord's agent must be present. The tenant may stay. The landlord cannot require the tenant to leave. When entry is properly arranged, the tenant must allow access.

Presenting an occupied home.

Coordinate showing windows in writing with the tenant. The showings page says a written schedule for viewing times is the practical way to arrange entry. Plan photos for a window the tenant has agreed to. The same page says the landlord may not stage the rental unit without the tenant's consent.

Keep the tenant informed once a listing is planned. BCFSA's consumer guide says to speak with the tenant when you plan to list, because including them makes showing times easier to arrange. Alex coordinates those written windows, the photo plan, and how the occupied home is presented, through Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty.

Deposits stay with the owner at move-out.

When a tenant moves out, the person who owns the property at that time returns the security deposit or pet damage deposit. That can make the buyer responsible even though the seller held the money. Buyer and seller may address the transfer in the contract of sale or the closing settlement. Sell a rental property.

The deposits page says that if the landlord changes or the rental unit is sold, the new landlord becomes responsible for returning the deposits to the tenant. Have the lawyer or notary document the transfer.

Keeping the rental is still a real choice.

You can keep the tenancy and keep the property. Tenant placement and full management are different services. The tenant placement vs full management page compares those scopes. The property management hub covers the landlord process. The decision to hire help or keep the work is the hire vs self-manage page.

If you want the property looked after while you hold it, talk to Alex about management. Rent increase limits are a separate landlord rule. The BC rent increase guide is that page.