Did you know about the recent changes to the Residential Tenancy Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act as a result of Bill 14, the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act (“Bill 14”)?

Bill 14 received royal assent on May 16, 2024. The amendments aim to enhance tenant protections, clarify landlord responsibilities, and streamline dispute resolution processes.Bill 14 introduces a phased approach to implementation, with certain provisions already in effect and others being rolled out gradually.

Changes already in effect include:

• Prohibiting personal occupancy evictions in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units;
• Increasing the minimum landlord’s occupancy period from six months to 12 months where a tenancy ends for landlord use;
• Prohibiting rent increases for additional occupants who are minors and making it an offence to do so; and
• Prohibiting a landlord from giving frivolous notices to end tenancy.

Changes coming into effect on July 18, 2024 include:

• Requiring landlords to use the new web portal to generate Notices to End Tenancy for personal occupancy;
• Increasing the notice period that a landlord must give a tenant for eviction for personal use from two months to three months; and
• Increasing the tenant dispute period from 15 days to 30 days.

Changes set to come into effect through future regulations include:

• Prohibiting conversion of rental units to specific non-residential uses, such as short-term rental accommodation or storage;
• Prescribing increased amounts of compensation for evicting long-term tenants for landlord use;
• Clarifying the criteria by which a landlord can legally end a tenancy for a problematic tenant; and
• Increasing administrative penalties for contraventions of the Residential Tenancy Act.

To learn more about Bill 14, please visit:

• Government of B.C.’s News Release on Bill 14;
• Government of B.C.’s News Release on the new web portal to generate Notices to End Tenancy;
• Residential Tenancies Resources;
• Bill 14 – Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, 2024; and
• BC Real Estate Association’s Legally Speaking article on Bill 14.