2026 Rent Increase Announced at 2.3%

The Province of British Columbia has set the maximum allowable rent increase for 2026 at 2.3%.

We recognize that British Columbians, particularly renters, are feeling the strain of rising inflation, and so too are the providers of the rental homes they rely on. To continue providing the quality long-term rental housing that communities depend on, our sector requires a stable and predictable operating environment that supports both tenants and housing providers.

LandlordBC maintains that the simplest and most effective solution is to restore the CPI + 2% rent increase formula, eliminated in 2019, to ensure predictability and sustainability in the face of rising costs for maintenance, insurance, utilities, financing, and property management. We will continue to advocate for the Province to take this corrective action, and as we do so we will also advocate for the following key recommendations:

  1. Reduce the property tax burden for all rental housing providers
  2. Create a fairer tax assessment process for multi-unit rental properties
  3. Slow the rise of utility costs by capping increases at the rate of inflation
  4. Prevent further intrusion of local governments into residential tenancies
  5. Increase support for sustainability retrofitting
  6. Ensure a fair and balanced legislative environment, with particular attention to the challenges faced by small, mom-and-pop housing providers

Without these measures, the Province risks discouraging investment in both existing rental operations and new purpose-built rental housing. Investors and developers may increasingly redirect resources to jurisdictions offering clearer, more supportive frameworks.

Timing
The earliest a rent increase may be effective is 12 months after the last rent increase or the date the rent was established. Additionally, a notice must be served three full months before the effective date.  In a tenancy where rent is due on the 1st, a Notice of Rent Increase served and received in September 2025 will be effective for January 1st, 2026.

Landlords must always consider the method of service they plan on utilizing to serve their tenants. A notice that is served in person is considered to be served the same day while posting notice on a tenant’s door or in a tenant’s mailbox has a delay of three days. Landlords utilizing Canada Post to send regular letter mail or registered mail will need to factor in a five-day delay. For information about using email as a method of service please refer to the LandlordBC guide.

The Form
As with many residential tenancy processes, there is an approved form landlords must use when increasing rent. You can find the rent increase form here. LandlordBC encourages members to always ensure they are using the most up-to-date form by printing them off directly as needed.

Additional Rent Increase for Capital Expenditures
Landlords that would like to raise rent higher than the allowed percentage to recoup costs incurred by capital expenditures should read the LandlordBC Additional Rent Increase guide before serving their annual rent increase notice.