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Province-specific deposits, rent rules, and the non-waivable obligations of the Residential Tenancy Act included by default. No US-first templates.
What every British Columbia lease must cover
Tenant's insurance is strongly recommended and may be required by this lease. The landlord's policy does not cover the tenant's personal property or personal liability. Where requi…
RTA s. 6 (terms inconsistent with the Act are unenforceable)
The tenant must not make changes of a structural nature, paint, install fixtures, or alter locks without the landlord's prior written consent. Lock changes during the tenancy requi…
RTA s. 31 (locks); s. 32; Residential Tenancy Regulation
The landlord must provide and maintain the rental unit and residential property in a state of decoration and repair that complies with health, safety and housing standards required…
RTA ss. 32 (landlord) and 32(2)/(3) (tenant)
The tenant may assign or sublet the tenancy only with the landlord's written consent. For a fixed-term tenancy of six months or longer, the landlord must not unreasonably withhold …
RTA s. 34
Rent is payable on the day specified in this lease. The landlord must give the tenant a written receipt for any cash payment. A landlord cannot require a tenant to provide post-dat…
RTA s. 26; Residential Tenancy Regulation s. 7
The landlord may enter the rental unit only: (a) with the tenant's permission given at the time; (b) at least 24 hours before entry, in writing, stating the purpose and a reasonabl…
RTA s. 29
A fixed-term tenancy ends only as specified in the Act: most fixed-term tenancies continue as month-to-month tenancies after the end of the term unless the tenant has given notice …
RTA ss. 44–50
Smoking inside the rental unit and on the residential property is permitted or prohibited as set out in this lease. A no-smoking term (including cannabis) is enforceable; breach ma…
RTA s. 47(1)(d); Tobacco and Vapour Products Control Act
The landlord may include reasonable conditions about pets in the rental unit, including limits on the number, size or type of pets, and may require a pet damage deposit of up to on…
RTA ss. 18–19 (pet damage deposit)
Clauses British Columbia landlords add that don't actually work
These show up in homemade and copy-pasted leases all the time. None of them are enforceable in British Columbia.
BC caps security deposits at one-half (0.5) of one month's rent. Pet damage deposits are separate and also capped at 0.5 month. Anything above those limits is unenforceable and must be returned.
RTA ss. 17–19
A landlord cannot charge a fee for accepting or processing a rental application in BC. Application fees of any kind are prohibited.
Residential Tenancy Regulation s. 5
The landlord's obligation to maintain the unit in a state of decoration and repair (s. 32) cannot be contracted out of. The tenant is only responsible for damage caused by their actions or neglect.
RTA s. 6; s. 32
Condition inspection reports at move-in and move-out are mandatory. A landlord who fails to offer the inspections forfeits the right to claim against the security deposit for damage; a tenant who refuses two reasonable opportunities forfeits the right to its return for damage.
RTA ss. 23–24, 35–36
Annual rent increases above the BC allowable amount (3.5% for 2026) require an Additional Rent Increase application approved by the RTB. Increases written into the lease above the guideline without approval are unenforceable.
RTA ss. 41–43; Residential Tenancy Regulation s. 23
Material restrictions on guests interfere with the tenant's right to quiet enjoyment. Reasonable rules about guests in common areas may be enforceable, but blanket prohibitions on overnight guests are not.
RTA s. 28 (quiet enjoyment)
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