British Columbia Property Management
Professional Attention for your BC Property
British Columbia blends world-class urban centres with breathtaking lifestyle communities, creating steady rental demand from professionals, students, newcomers, and remote workers. From Vancouver and Burnaby to Surrey, Victoria, Kelowna, and the Okanagan, BC’s diverse markets reward well-managed rentals that stand out for quality, convenience, and care.
SMOOTH Property Management supports BC rental owners through our Canada-wide, partner-supported model. We understand BC's strata rules, municipal bylaws and market dynamics. Depending on where your property is, services such as marketing, tenant screening, rent collection, maintenance coordination and owner reporting are delivered by our team together with local partners. Contact us to confirm what we can provide for your property.
Your BC rental deserves professional attention. Talk to SMOOTH about your property and we will confirm the right management setup for it.
How rent increases work in British Columbia
The Residential Tenancy Branch sets a maximum allowable rent increase each year. For 2026 the limit is 2.3%, and for 2027 it is 2.2%. Rent can only be increased once every 12 months, counted from the start of the tenancy or the last legal increase.
A landlord must give three full months of written notice using the required form, RTB-7, and the notice has to state the exact dollar amount and the effective date. Increases above the annual limit are possible only with the tenant's written agreement or an application to the Residential Tenancy Branch.
Deposits in British Columbia
A security deposit can be no more than half of one month's rent, and the amount is fixed at the start of the tenancy. A pet damage deposit can also be up to half of one month's rent, regardless of how many pets there are, and no monthly pet fee may be charged. Certified guide and service dogs are exempt from a pet deposit.
Once a tenant provides a forwarding address, the landlord has 15 days to return the deposits with interest or to apply to keep them. A landlord who does neither can be ordered to pay the tenant double the deposit. The interest rate for 2026 is 0%.
Ending a tenancy in British Columbia
A tenant on a month-to-month tenancy gives written notice at least one full rental month before the effective date, and before the day rent is due. That is a complete rental month, not simply 30 days.
A landlord's options are specific. Unpaid rent or utilities is a 10 Day Notice, which the tenant has 5 days to dispute. Cause is a One Month Notice, disputable within 10 days. Landlord or close family occupancy is a Three Month Notice that must be generated through the Residential Tenancy Branch web portal for notices given on or after 18 June 2025, disputable within 21 days, and the person moving in must live there at least 12 months. Demolition or conversion is a Four Month Notice and the tenant receives one month's rent in compensation. Major renovations require the landlord to apply to the Branch first and satisfy an arbitrator that the work genuinely requires the unit to be empty.
Licensing matters in British Columbia
British Columbia is one of the provinces where managing rental property for someone else is a licensed activity. The BC Financial Services Authority issues a rental property management licence under the Real Estate Services Act, and the licensed services include finding tenants, advertising and showing rentals, collecting rent or security deposits, and managing rental real estate on behalf of owners. Licensees provide their services through a real estate brokerage under a managing broker.
One consequence is worth knowing before you hire anyone. Only you as the owner, or a professional holding a rental property management licence acting on your behalf, can serve an end-of-tenancy notice. Ask any company you are considering how its licensing is held. SMOOTH is brokered by KO Realty Ltd. For the brokerage and licence details for your own records, contact admin@smoothpm.ca.
Disputes are decided by the Residential Tenancy Branch. Applications are filed online, and the fee for a participatory hearing is $100.
This page is general information for British Columbia landlords and is not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm anything you intend to rely on with the Residential Tenancy Branch.
BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan properties are subject to a small $20 per unit monthly Brokerage Administration & Compliance Fee plus applicable taxes due to provincial regulatory and licensing requirements.
