🍁 For rentals in British Columbia, Canada
Everything a BC landlord needs before a tenant moves in
A simple checklist for landlords in British Columbia: screening, the RTB-1 agreement, deposits, inspections, and move-in day.
An independent BC resource — not affiliated with the government.
Free, with official links.
Landlord checklist: before your tenant moves in
🖨 Print this checklistEleven steps, from screening to move-in day, with official BC government links. Check them off as you go.
Before you sign
Use a written application, check references, and get consent for a credit check. Keep it within the BC Human Rights Code — you can screen for ability to pay, not for family status, ethnicity, or source of lawful income.
Every BC tenancy needs a written agreement with the standard terms required by the Residential Tenancy Act. Use the official form (RTB-1) — or build it online with LeaseSimple’s guided lease builder, e-signed on any phone.
Get full legal names, contact info, and emergency contacts for everyone on the lease before move-in day. You will need them for the agreement and the inspection report.
Security deposits are capped at half of one month’s rent (same cap for a pet deposit). The 15-day clock to return them starts on the later of the tenancy ending and the day the tenant gives you a forwarding address in writing — within it you must return the deposits, get written agreement to any deductions, or apply to the RTB. Do none of the three and you can be ordered to pay double.
Renting your place out?
Build your BC tenancy agreement on the official forms, with the deposit caps, term rules and dates already applied. Free to build and free to download.
Build your agreementFree account, no credit card.
Before move-in day
A standard home policy usually does not cover rentals. Landlord (rental property) insurance covers the building, liability, and lost rent — and ask your tenant for proof of their own tenant insurance.
Square One is the one we’d pick ourselves — and they pay us a small commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. The other options are here because it’s worth getting more than one quote. look them up without our link ↗
If the unit is in a strata: book the elevator, get the move-in forms, confirm the move-in fee, and check insurance and key/fob rules — then pass it all to your tenant a week before the move.
Before move-in day: test smoke and CO alarms, check locks and window latches, and fix loose railings. Five minutes of checks, documented in the inspection report, prevents real liability.
Move-in day & after
Walk through the unit together and record its condition on the official Condition Inspection Report (RTB-27). Skipping it can cost you the right to claim against the deposit.
Give your tenant keys, garbage/recycling schedules, parking and strata rules, and your contact details for repairs. A short welcome sheet prevents most early disputes.
Decide how rent arrives (e-transfer with auto-deposit works well), and start a simple ledger of payments and receipts from month one. Clean records win disputes.
Estimate my rental income & tax
- Annual gross rent
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- Annual net rental income
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- Estimated tax on rental income
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- After-tax rental income
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Rough estimate using 2026 federal + BC brackets. Not tax advice — see what you can deduct in our guide. →
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Give the tenant a copy of the signed agreement within 21 days and keep your own copies of the agreement and inspection report for the entire tenancy.
Ending a tenancy instead? Notice rules, the final inspection and deposit return →
Checklist complete — well done! 🎉
Your tenancy is starting on solid ground — proper paperwork, a protected deposit, and far fewer disputes ahead.
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Raising rent later? You’ll need the official notice and at least three months’ warning — see the BC rent increase rules ↗
From checklist to signed lease
LeaseSimple is a guided online flow that lets landlords and tenants complete BC tenancy paperwork without manually filling PDFs.
- Guided lease agreement — the official RTB-1, filled in for you
- Tenant invite link — they review and sign right from their phone
- Electronic signatures, no printing or scanning
- A move-in checklist for your tenant, built from the agreement
- Shared move-in photos and files
- Rent and deposit reminders
Never fill another BC tenancy PDF
Build your BC lease online — the official RTB-1, filled in for you and e-signed on any phone. Free to build and download; your tenant pays $0.
Build your BC leaseAll guides
- Deposit not returned in BC: what actually works
- Eviction notices in BC: deadlines and your real options
- Is your BC rent increase illegal? Check, then act
- The BC landlord checklist: forms and steps
- What you can (and cannot) expense as a BC landlord
- The BC move-in inspection (RTB-27), step by step
- Move-out notice in BC: tenant and landlord rules
- BC rent increase rules: the 2026 guide
- The BC Residential Tenancy Agreement, explained
- BC security deposit rules, explained
- The BC tenant checklist: before you move in