Landlords across British Columbia will be able to raise rents by no more than 2.2% next year, with the province setting its 2027 cap slightly below the 2.3% ceiling that applied to 2026.
The limit takes effect on January 1, 2027, and marks the seventh consecutive year that the maximum allowable increase has been held at or below inflation. The figure is pegged to the 12-month average change in the all-items Consumer Price Index for the province through July of the prior year.
Announcing the number now gives landlords room to provide the required three months notice ahead of any increase. Rent can be raised only once every 12 months, and any hike must fall within the annual limit.
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Manufactured home park tenancies face the same 2.2% ceiling, along with a proportional amount tied to changes in local government levies and regulated utility fees. Exempt from the cap are commercial tenancies, non-profit housing where rent is geared to income, co-operative housing and some assisted-living facilities.
A policy change before 2019 removed an extra 2% that renters used to pay on top of inflation. Had that shift not occurred, the province estimates allowable increases would have climbed to 5.4% in 2023 and 5.6% in 2024.
Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, framed the measure as a balance between renters and property owners. She credited a 4.5% decrease in overall average rents to broader provincial efforts, including moves to boost supply, curb illegal short-term rentals and limit foreign investment.
That trend showed up in a recent Rentals.ca report, which found average asking rents down 4.5% overall and 4.1% for purpose-built rentals and apartments. Among the 15 cities with the largest year over year declines in purpose-built rents, five were in B.C., including Abbotsford (-12.4%), Langley (-7.6%), Coquitlam (-7.3%), New Westminster (-6.6%) and Richmond (-6.1%).
