BILL 11 – 2026
RESIDENTIAL TENANCY AMENDMENT ACT, 2026

HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

1 The headings to Part 1 and Division 1 of Part 1 of the Residential Tenancy Act, S.B.C. 2002, c. 78, are repealed and the following substituted:

Part 1 – Interpretation .

2 Section 1 is amended

(a) by adding the following definition:

"authorized person", in relation to a tenant or the rental unit of the tenant, means

(a) the landlord,

(b) another tenant or occupant of the residential property where the rental unit is located,

(c) a person permitted on the residential property where the rental unit is located by the landlord or by a tenant, or other occupant, of another rental unit on the residential property, or

(d) another person who is, with lawful authority, on the residential property where the rental unit is located; , and

(b) in paragraph (a) (ii) of the definition of "landlord" by striking out "under this Act, the tenancy agreement or a service agreement" and substituting "under this Act or the tenancy agreement".

3 Section 1 is amended by adding the following definitions:

"housing stability support" has the prescribed meaning;

"supportive housing" means living accommodation in supportive housing rental units;

"supportive housing operator" means a prescribed person or organization;

"supportive housing rental unit" means a rental unit described in section 4.2 [supportive housing rental units];

"transitional housing", subject to the regulations, means living accommodation that is provided in prescribed circumstances, but does not include supportive housing.

4 The following headings are added before section 2:

Part 1.1 – Scope of Act

Division 1 – Application of Act .

5 Section 3 is amended by striking out "or a service agreement".

6 Section 4 (g) is amended

(a) by adding "or" at the end of subparagraph (iv), and

(b) by repealing subparagraph (v).

7 The following Division is added after section 4:

Division 2 – Special Provisions for Supportive Housing

Interpretation and application: supportive housing

4.1 (1) In this Division:

"landlord" means a landlord of a supportive housing rental unit;

"residential property" means a residential property where a supportive housing rental unit is located;

"tenancy agreement" means a tenancy agreement in relation to a supportive housing rental unit;

"tenant" means a tenant of a supportive housing rental unit.

(2) This Division applies to tenancy agreements for supportive housing rental units and residential property.

(3) For certainty, nothing in this Division affects the exemptions established under section 4 [what this Act does not apply to] or 97 (2) (a) [power to make regulations].

Supportive housing rental units

4.2 (1) For the purposes of this Act, a rental unit is a supportive housing rental unit if all of the following apply:

(a) the rental unit is located on a residential property that is operated by a supportive housing operator;

(b) the rental unit is rented to a tenant who has been assessed

(i) as experiencing homelessness or as being at risk of experiencing homelessness, and

(ii) as a person who would benefit from housing stability support;

(c) housing stability support is available to at least one tenant of the rental unit;

(d) the rental unit is not provided on a temporary basis.

(2) The assessment of a tenant for the purposes of paragraph (b) (i) or (ii) of subsection (1) in relation to homelessness or housing stability support, as applicable, is based on the following:

(a) the prescribed assessment criteria;

(b) if no assessment criteria have been prescribed, the assessment criteria set by the supportive housing operator.

Amendments to tenancy agreements: terms and standard terms for supportive housing

4.3 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, provide that, if a landlord is not required under this Act to include a standard term in a tenancy agreement, the landlord may amend an existing tenancy agreement to change or remove that standard term.

(2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, in respect of a tenancy agreement, prescribe exceptions to the requirement under section 14 (2) [amendments to tenancy agreement] that both the landlord and the tenant agree to the amendment of the tenancy agreement to add, remove or change a term other than a standard term.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, establish requirements, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions in respect of the amendment of tenancy agreements.

Personal property of tenants in supportive housing rental units

4.4 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe exceptions to the prohibitions under section 26 (3) [seizing or interfering with access to tenant's property] in respect of the seizure of any personal property of a tenant or the prevention or interference with a tenant's access to the tenant's personal property.

Landlord's right to enter supportive housing rental unit restricted

4.5 (1) A landlord may only enter a supportive housing rental unit if one of the following applies:

(a) the entry is for a prescribed purpose, during prescribed periods of time or in prescribed circumstances;

(b) the purpose for entry is specified in a reasonable term in the written tenancy agreement;

(c) in the case of a purpose other than a prescribed purpose under paragraph (a) or a specified purpose in paragraph (b), the landlord, within a prescribed period of time, gives the tenant written notice that includes the following information:

(i) the purpose for entering, which must be reasonable;

(ii) any prescribed information.

(2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, establish requirements, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions that apply for the purposes of this section.

Restricting access by tenants to residential property

4.6 (1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe exceptions to the prohibition under section 30 (1) (a) [tenant's right of access protected] in respect of the restriction of access to the residential property by a tenant of a supportive housing rental unit.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation,

(a) prescribe circumstances in which, and periods of time during which, a landlord may restrict access to residential property, or part of a residential property,

(b) prescribe circumstances in which the approval of the director is required by the landlord to restrict access and establish procedures that apply for that purpose, and

(c) establish requirements, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions in respect of prescribed circumstances that apply for the purposes of this section.

(3) If a period of time is prescribed for the purposes of subsection (2) (a), a landlord or tenant may make an application for dispute resolution, and the director may specify a different period of time during which the landlord may restrict access.

(4) A regulation made for the purposes of subsection (2) (b) may establish procedures in accordance with which the landlord may make an application to restrict access by applying for dispute resolution, without notice to any other party, to request an interim order for approval to restrict access.

Vacating supportive housing rental units

4.7 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, in relation to supportive housing rental units, prescribe exceptions to the requirements under section 37 (2) (a) [leaving the rental unit at the end of a tenancy] that, when a tenant vacates the supportive housing rental unit, the tenant is required to leave the rental unit

(a) reasonably clean, and

(b) undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear.

Order of possession: weapons

4.8 (1) In this section, "weapon" has the prescribed meaning.

(2) A landlord may make an application for dispute resolution requesting

(a) an order ending a tenancy if either of the following applies:

(i) the tenant or a person permitted on the property by the tenant, or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit, has been in personal possession of a weapon on the residential property;

(ii) the landlord, while in the reasonable exercise of a right or performance of an obligation under the Act or a term of the tenancy agreement, has observed a weapon in plain view in the tenant's rental unit, and

(b) an order granting the landlord possession of the rental unit.

(3) The director may make an order specifying the date on which the tenancy ends and the effective date of the order of possession if the director is satisfied that

(a) the tenant or a person permitted on the property by the tenant, or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit, has been in personal possession of a weapon on the residential property, or

(b) the landlord, while in the reasonable exercise of a right or performance of an obligation under the Act or a term of the tenancy agreement, has observed a weapon in plain view in the tenant's rental unit.

(4) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe the following:

(a) factors that the director must or must not consider when resolving a dispute under this section;

(b) circumstances in which the director must dismiss the landlord's application.

Minimum compensation

4.9 (1) Despite sections 7 [liability for not complying with this Act or a tenancy agreement] and 67 [director's orders: compensation for damage or loss], the Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, prescribe a minimum amount of compensation that a landlord is to pay a tenant if the landlord has not complied with a prescribed provision of this Act, a prescribed provision of the regulations or a prescribed term of the tenancy agreement.

(2) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may, by regulation, provide for matters related to determining the minimum amounts of compensation that apply to different prescribed provisions of this Act, different prescribed provisions of the regulations or different prescribed terms of tenancy agreements, including

(a) entitlement to minimum amounts of compensation, and

(b) different amounts of compensation or different formulas related to compensation.

8 The following heading is added before section 5:

Part 1.2 – Effect and Administration of This Act .

9 The heading to Division 2 of Part 1.2 is repealed.

10 Section 12 is amended by striking out "every tenancy agreement" and substituting "a tenancy agreement".

11 Section 23 (1) is amended by striking out "The landlord and tenant together must" and substituting "Subject to the regulations, the landlord and tenant must".

12 Sections 32 (3) and 33 (6) (d) are amended by adding "or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit" after "by the tenant".

13 Section 35 (1) is amended by striking out "The landlord and tenant together must" and substituting "Subject to the regulations, the landlord and tenant must".

14 Section 45.1 is amended in subsection (1) by repealing the definition of "occupant".

15 Section 47 (1) is amended by repealing paragraphs (d), (e) and (f) and substituting the following:

(d) the tenant or a person permitted on the residential property by the tenant, or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit, has

(i) significantly interfered with or unreasonably disturbed an authorized person,

(ii) seriously jeopardized the health or safety or a lawful right or interest of an authorized person, or

(iii) put the landlord's property at significant risk;

(e) the tenant or a person permitted on the residential property by the tenant, or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit, has engaged in illegal activity that

(i) has caused or is likely to cause damage to the landlord's property,

(ii) has adversely affected or is likely to adversely affect the quiet enjoyment of another tenant or occupant of the residential property,

(iii) has adversely affected or is likely to adversely affect the security, safety or physical well-being of an authorized person, or

(iv) has jeopardized or is likely to jeopardize a lawful right or interest of an authorized person;

(f) the tenant or a person permitted on the residential property by the tenant, or by an occupant of the tenant's rental unit, has caused extraordinary damage to a rental unit or residential property; .

16 Section 56 (2) is amended

(a) in paragraph (a) by striking out "by the tenant" and substituting "by the tenant, or by an occupant of the rental unit of the tenant,",

(b) in paragraph (a) (i) by striking out "another occupant or the landlord of the residential property" and substituting "an authorized person",

(c) in paragraph (a) (ii) by striking out "the landlord or another occupant" and substituting "an authorized person",

(d) by repealing paragraph (a) (iv) (B) and substituting the following:

(B) has adversely affected or is likely to adversely affect the quiet enjoyment of an authorized person,

(B.1) has adversely affected or is likely to adversely affect the security, safety or physical well-being of an authorized person, or ,

(e) in paragraph (a) (iv) (C) by striking out "another occupant or the landlord" and substituting "an authorized person", and

(f) in paragraph (b) by adding ", other tenants" after "to the landlord".

17 Section 89 (2) is amended

(a) by adding "4.8 [order of possession: weapons]," after "by a landlord under section", and

(b) by adding the following subsection:

(2.1) If a record is required to be given or served on a tenant or landlord of a supportive housing rental unit under section 88 or subsection (1) or (2) of this section, in prescribed circumstances, the record must be given or served by the means of service provided for in the regulations.

18 Section 97 is amended

(a) in subsection (2) by adding the following paragraph:

(a.01) prescribing information, including any specific residential property information or address, rental unit or tenancy agreement, for the purposes of the definition of "transitional housing" in section 1 of this Act; ,

(b) in subsection (2) (c) (i) by striking out "every tenancy agreement" and substituting "tenancy agreements",

(c) by repealing subsection (2) (h) (i) and substituting the following:

(i) the procedures to be followed in conducting the inspection and other matters relating to inspections;

(i.1) any requirements, criteria or conditions for any prescribed alternative means of participation, including the following means:

(A) attendance by an agent on the tenant's behalf;

(B) electronic or other communication facilities;

(i.2) the circumstances in which a tenant of a supportive housing rental unit may only participate in an inspection by prescribed alternative means of participation; ,

(d) by adding the following subsection:

(2.1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations in relation to supportive housing for the purposes of Division 2 [Special Provisions for Supportive Housing] of Part 1.1, including regulations doing one or more of the following:

(a) specifying how provisions of this Act apply or do not apply, or setting conditions of, or limitations on, the application of provisions of this Act, to the following:

(i) supportive housing, including tenancy agreements for supportive housing rental units;

(ii) in relation to supportive housing rental units, residential properties, supportive housing operators, landlords and tenants;

(b) prescribing matters in respect of definitions under section 1 or Division 2 [Special Provisions for Supportive Housing] of Part 1.1 relating to supportive housing, including,

(i) for the purposes of the definition of "housing stability support", by specifying the following matters related to prescribed support:

(A) the location of the support;

(B) the provider of the support;

(C) the funder of the support, whether in whole or in part;

(D) whether use of, or participation in, a support by a tenant is voluntary or mandatory, and

(ii) respecting assessment criteria for the purposes of the description of supportive housing rental unit under section 4.2 [supportive housing rental units];

(c) respecting amendments to terms and standard terms in tenancy agreements under which supportive housing rental units are rented;

(d) respecting personal property of tenants;

(e) respecting restrictions to tenant's access or landlord's entry in respect of residential property;

(f) respecting weapons and the ending of a tenancy for the purposes of section 4.8 [order of possession: weapons];

(g) respecting minimum amounts of compensation for the purposes of section 4.9 [minimum compensation]. ,

(e) in subsection (3) by adding the following paragraph:

(c.1) make different regulations for different personal property or for different types or classes of personal property, , and

(f) in subsection (3) by striking out "and" at the end of paragraph (d) and by adding the following paragraphs:

(f) make different regulations for different terms or standard terms in tenancy agreements or for different classes of terms or standard terms in tenancy agreements,

(g) make different regulations for different persons or for different classes of persons,

(h) make different regulations for different records or different classes of records,

(i) make different regulations for different circumstances or periods of time or for different classes of circumstances or periods of time,

(j) make different regulations for different requirements, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions or for different classes of requirements, conditions, restrictions or prohibitions,

(k) make different regulations for different purposes for entering rental units or for different classes of purposes for entering rental units, and

(l) make different regulations for different exemptions or exceptions or for different classes of exemptions or exceptions under this Act.

Consequential and Related Amendments

Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2006

19 Sections 55 (b), 57, 67, 70, 78, 80, 110 (b) and (c), 112 (b) and 114 of the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2006, S.B.C. 2006, c. 35, are repealed.

Commencement

20 The provisions of this Act referred to in column 1 of the following table come into force as set out in column 2 of the table:

Explanatory Notes

CLAUSE 1: [Residential Tenancy Act, headings to Part 1 and Division 1 of Part 1] repeals headings to Part 1 and Division 1 of Part 1 and adds a new heading for Part 1.

CLAUSE 2: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 1]

• adds a definition of "authorized person";
• amends the definition of "landlord" consequential to the repeal by this Bill of provisions of the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2006.

CLAUSE 3: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 1] adds definitions of "housing stability support", "supportive housing", "supportive housing operator", "supportive housing rental unit" and "transitional housing".

CLAUSE 4: [Residential Tenancy Act, headings to Part 1.1 and Division 1 of Part 1.1] adds headings to create Part 1.1 and Division 1 of Part 1.1 to provide for supportive housing.

CLAUSE 5: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 3] is consequential to the repeal by this Bill of provisions of the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2006.

CLAUSE 6: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 4] removes an exemption relating to living accommodation in a housing based health facility that provides hospitality support services and personal care.

CLAUSE 7: [Residential Tenancy Act, Division 2 of Part 1.1] adds Division 2 to Part 1.1.

CLAUSE 8: [Residential Tenancy Act, heading to Part 1.2] adds a heading to create Part 1.2.

CLAUSE 9: [Residential Tenancy Act, heading to Division 2 of Part 1.2] repeals the heading to Division 2 of Part 1.2 consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act.

CLAUSE 10: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 12] amends a reference consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act to provide for amendments to standard terms of a tenancy agreement.

CLAUSE 11: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 23] provides for regulation-making authority that is consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act.

CLAUSE 12: [Residential Tenancy Act, sections 32 and 33] adds a reference to an occupant to provide for the responsibility for repairs.

CLAUSE 13: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 35] provides for regulation-making authority that is consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act.

CLAUSE 14: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 45.1] clarifies the use of the word "occupant" in respect of the Act.

CLAUSE 15: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 47] adds circumstances that may permit the ending of tenancies.

CLAUSE 16: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 56] adds circumstances that may permit the ending of tenancies early.

CLAUSE 17: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 89] provides for the giving or serving of records and is consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act.

CLAUSE 18: [Residential Tenancy Act, section 97] provides for regulation-making authority that is consequential to amendments made by this Bill to the Act.

CLAUSE 19: [Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2006, sections 55, 57, 67, 70, 78, 80, 110, 112 and 114] repeals provisions respecting the Residential Tenancy Act that will not be brought into force.