Government of British Columbia
B.C. Residential Tenancy Branch
The Residential Tenancy Branch administers B.C. tenancy law, takes dispute-resolution applications, and has published a 2027 maximum rent increase of 2.2%.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Renting a home as a newcomer
IRCC's renting guide explains leases, deposits, landlord entry, and what to check before you move in. The enforceable rules still come from the province or territory.
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026
- Source
- IRCC, renting a home
- Audience
- Permanent residents, Temporary workers, International students, Refugees and protected persons
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What we could verify
- Each province and territory has its own residential tenancy law.
- In most provinces and territories, a landlord must give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering, unless there is an emergency.
- Landlords may ask for references, where you work, a credit check, and proof of income. If you have none of those yet, IRCC says to ask a settlement agency what to do.
- A lease should state the rent, the due date, the term, and who maintains what. Some provinces allow a last-month rent deposit or a security deposit. Get a receipt.
- In most of Canada a rent increase needs 90 days' written notice, and some provinces cap the annual increase. Notice to end a lease is often one to three months, depending on where you live.
Read this once before you tour apartments, then read the provincial page for the city you are actually moving to. IRCC is summarizing a country of different laws. A sentence that says 'in most provinces' is not a promise about your building.
Two warnings on the page are worth memorizing. It is illegal for anyone to pressure you into something you do not want to do in exchange for rent. And you should understand the lease before you sign. A settlement worker can sit with a standard lease. A lawyer is the right call if money has already gone wrong. IRCC also points to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for province-by-province tenant guides.
Who it is for
Anyone renting in Canada. Your immigration status does not remove tenant protections that apply to the unit.
How to act on it
Use the guide as a checklist for viewings and for the day you sign. Then open the rental authority page for your province before you pay a deposit.
Also in housing
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
CMHC landlord and tenant responsibilities
CMHC states the basic split: landlords keep the place habitable and cannot harass you, and tenants pay rent and repair damage they cause. Eviction still has to follow the provincial process.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Government of Ontario
Renting in Ontario: your rights
Ontario's rental page sets out the rent-increase guideline, the standard lease, and the rule that a landlord needs an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board before you have to move out.
Last checked October 19, 2026