British Columbia Lease Renewal / Rent Increase Notice

A compliant written notice of rent increase or lease renewal under the *Residential Tenancy Act*, SBC 2002, c 78 (RTA) and Rent Increase Guideline issued by the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). Landlords may increase rent only once every 12 months, must use the prescribed RTB-7 form, and must give the tenant at least three full months' written notice before the increase takes effect. The notice must state the current rent, the new rent amount, the effective date, and the tenant's right to dispute the increase at the RTB., -

Rent Increase Rules, British Columbia

Landlords must follow these mandatory rules:

1. Only one rent increase is permitted in any 12-month period for the same tenant.

2. Written notice using the official RTB-7 Notice of Rent Increase form is required.

3. The tenant must receive at least three full rental months' notice. The three months are counted by excluding the month in which the notice is served.

4. The increase may not exceed the annual Rent Increase Guideline published by the BC government (for example 3% in prior years; verify the current guideline for the year of the increase at the RTB website).

5. The notice must specify the exact new rent amount and the exact date it becomes payable.

6. The tenant may apply to the RTB to dispute the increase within 30 days after receiving the notice if the increase appears unlawful or improperly calculated., -

NOTICE OF RENT INCREASE (RTB Form 7)

Date of Notice: [[Date of Notice]]

FROM (Landlord / Agent):
[[Landlord Full Name or Company Name]]
[[Landlord Mailing Address]]
[[City, BC, Postal Code]]
[[Landlord Phone Number]]
[[Landlord Email Address]]

TO (Tenant):
[[Tenant Full Name(s), all adults on tenancy agreement]]

RE: Rental Unit at: [[Full Civic Address including Unit if any, City, BC, Postal Code]], -

Pursuant to section 42 of the *Residential Tenancy Act*, SBC 2002, c 78, and the current Rent Increase Guideline, you are hereby given notice that your monthly rent will increase as follows:

Current monthly rent: $[[Current Monthly Rent Amount]]

New monthly rent: $[[New Monthly Rent Amount]]

Dollar increase: $[[Increase Amount]]

Percentage increase: [[Percentage Increase, e.g. 2.3]]%

Effective date of increase: [[Effective Date, first day of the month after three full rental months have passed]]

The new rent is payable on or after the Effective Date stated above.

Calculation of three full months' notice (example):

1. Notice served on 5 April 2026.

2. April is excluded from the count.

3. The three full months are May, June, and July.

4. The increase therefore takes effect on 1 August 2026.

Your current rental period / rent due day: Rent is due on the [[1st / 15th / other]] of each month., -

TENANT RIGHTS AND DISPUTE INFORMATION

You have the right to dispute this rent increase by filing an Application for Dispute Resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch within 30 days of receiving this notice.

You may dispute on grounds that include (but are not limited to):

1. The increase exceeds the allowable Rent Increase Guideline for the year.

2. The landlord has increased rent more than once in a 12-month period.

3. The notice was not given on the proper RTB-7 form.

4. The notice period is shorter than three full months.

5. The increase is otherwise unlawful under the RTA.

How to dispute:

1. Obtain the Application for Dispute Resolution form from rtb.gov.bc.ca or a Residential Tenancy Branch office.

2. File online, in person, or by mail/fax within the 30-day window.

3. Pay any required filing fee (may be recoverable if you succeed).

Contact the RTB:

• Toll-free: 1-800-665-8779 (outside Greater Vancouver)

• Greater Vancouver: 604-660-1020

• Victoria: 250-387-1602

• Website: rtb.gov.bc.ca

If you do not dispute within 30 days and the increase is otherwise lawful, the new rent amount becomes the lawful rent on the Effective Date., -

OPTIONAL, RENEWAL OF FIXED-TERM TENANCY

If this notice is also serving as confirmation of renewal of a fixed-term tenancy:

Current fixed-term end date: [[Current Fixed Term End Date]]

Renewed term: [[New Fixed Term Length or "converting to month-to-month on same terms"]]

New monthly rent (if different): $[[New Monthly Rent Amount]]

Renewal effective date: [[Renewal Date]]

Both parties acknowledge that unless a new fixed-term agreement is signed, a fixed-term tenancy converts to month-to-month at the end of the term under RTA rules.

Landlord signature: _______________________________ Date: [[Date]]

Tenant signature: _______________________________ Date: [[Date]], -

SERVICE OF NOTICE

This notice must be served using a permitted method under RTA s. 88. The landlord or agent should retain proof of service.

Method of service (check one and complete details):

1. Personal delivery to tenant(s) at the rental unit on [[Service Date]] at [[Time]].

2. Delivery to an adult residing with the tenant on [[Service Date]] at [[Time]].

3. Posting in a conspicuous place at the rental unit on [[Service Date]] at [[Time]] (after reasonable attempts).

4. Registered mail to tenant's address on [[Date Mailed]] (adds 5 days to notice period).

5. Email (if tenant previously agreed in writing to accept service by email) sent [[Date]] at [[Time]] to [[Email Address]].

Server / Landlord declaration of service:

I confirm the above notice was served as indicated.

Server name: [[Server Full Name]]

Signature: _______________________________

Date: [[Declaration Date]], -

RENT INCREASE GUIDELINE AND ADDITIONAL NOTES

The annual guideline is set by regulation and published by the BC government each year. For 2026 the guideline is 2.3% (verify current year at time of notice).

• The guideline applies to most residential tenancies.

• New buildings or certain exempt tenancies may have different rules; confirm exemption status before relying on higher increase.

• Landlords may not "bank" unused increases from prior years.

• If a tenant receives a rent increase notice that does not use the RTB-7 form or gives insufficient notice, the tenant may continue paying the old rent until proper notice is given., -

*Template, not legal advice. British Columbia rent increases are governed by the Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78, section 42, and the annual Rent Increase Guideline. The prescribed form is RTB-7. Figures, notice periods, and dispute rights are current as of June 2026. Always verify the current guideline percentage and download the latest RTB-7 form from the Residential Tenancy Branch (rtb.gov.bc.ca) before issuing notice. This template does not constitute legal advice.*