Residential Tenancies Program: legislative changes

Changes in effect 20 September 2024

Change	Details
Rent amount for subletting	A tenant who sublets a rental unit can’t charge the subtenant more than the rent being charged by the landlord.
Definition of "Days"	Day will be defined as a calendar day, not a business day in the Residential Tenancies Act.

Changes in effect at a later date (date to be determined)

Change	Details
Interim residential rental increase cap	A rent cap remains in place until 31 December 2027. Starting 1 January 2026, rent can only increase up to 5% each year.
Eviction timelines for non-payment of rent	Landlords can give an eviction notice to a tenant if the tenant fails to pay their rent within 3 days after the day it’s due. For example, if rent is due on 1 May and the tenant doesn’t pay the overdue rent within the next 3 days (2 to 4 May), on 5 May, the landlord can give the tenant an eviction notice. Tenants can pay the late rent or dispute the eviction notice within 10 days after the day they receive the notice. For example, if the tenant receives an eviction notice from the landlord on 5 May but doesn’t pay the rent or dispute the notice within 10 days period (6 to 15 May), the landlord may apply as early as 16 May to evict the tenant. To dispute an eviction notice, tenants can file an Application to the Residential Tenancies Program to request a hearing.
Terminating a tenancy for problematic behaviour	The landlord may apply to end a tenancy if the tenant repeatedly pays rent late, engages in illegal activity, causes extraordinary damage to the unit or property or interferes with, disturbs or seriously jeopardizes the health and safety of another occupant or the landlord. This includes behaviour by the tenant or any guest of the tenant. To end a tenancy for these reasons, the landlord can apply to Residential Tenancies Program to request a hearing.
Publishing director’s orders	The Director of Residential Tenancies may publish summaries, portions or the entire text of orders made after residential tenancies hearings.
Landlord’s rules in land-lease communities	In a land-lease community, the landlord must: establish a common anniversary date to change or implement rules (like what a tenant is responsible for on their lot); the anniversary date must be the same as the pre-established date for rental increase, if there is one provide 4 months written notice before the anniversary date if they plan to change the rules post a written copy of the rules or changes in a common area that all tenants can access provide written copies of rules and changes to all tenants post written copies of any existing landlord rules in a land-lease community in a common area accessible to all tenants and provide written copies to each tenant within 30 days of the legislative change in effect date
Contact information	Landlords must provide tenants with the following contact information in a lease: name civic address mailing address telephone number email address (if one was provided by the tenant) contact information for the landlord and any agents like property managers or superintendents Any changes to the contact information must be provided in writing within 30 days of the change. For any existing leases not containing complete contact information, the tenant must be provided the complete contact information in writing within 30 days of the legislative change in effect date.
Serving documents by email	Any documents served by email must be sent from the same email address provided in the lease contact information.

Questions about the changes

Residential Tenancies can answer questions about the changes to the acts and regulations.

Legislation

• Interim Residential Rental Increase Cap Act (PDF)
• Residential Tenancies Act (PDF)
• Residential Tenancies Regulations