BC Rent Increase Proof of Service: What Records You Need

Why Proof of Service Matters

When a tenant files a dispute at the Residential Tenancy Branch challenging a rent increase, the first question the arbitrator asks is whether the tenant received proper notice. If you can't prove the notice was served — on the right form, by a permitted method, with enough lead time — the increase is void.

The burden of proof falls on the landlord, not the tenant. Saying "I definitely mailed it" isn't evidence. You need contemporaneous documentation created at the time of service.

What to Record for Each Method

Personal Delivery

• Date and time of delivery
• Full name of the person who received the form (tenant or adult co-occupant)
• Name and contact details of your witness
• A signed acknowledgement of receipt, if the tenant is willing

A witness statement is your strongest evidence for personal delivery. This can be anyone — a friend, a neighbour, a co-owner — as long as they were present and can attest to the delivery.

Door Posting

• Date and time you posted the notice
• Exact location (e.g., "taped to main entrance door of Unit 204")
• A timestamped photograph showing the notice on the door
• Name of any witness present

The photo should be clear enough to read the date on the form and identify the door or mailbox. A smartphone timestamp is fine.

Regular or Registered Mail

• Canada Post receipt showing the date of mailing
• For registered mail: tracking number and dispatch confirmation
• A copy of the envelope (or at minimum, the exact mailing address used)

Registered mail is not required — regular mail carries the same deemed receipt period (5 days). But the tracking record registered mail provides makes proof of dispatch much cleaner.

If the tenant refuses to collect registered mail, the deemed receipt date is still 5 days after dispatch. RTB Policy Guideline 12 confirms that unclaimed registered mail sent to the correct address is deemed received on schedule.

Fax

• The fax confirmation sheet showing the destination number and transmission date
• A written record that the tenant provided that fax number as an address for service
• A copy of the completed Form RTB-7

The notice is deemed received 3 days after faxing. Keep the confirmation sheet with the service log.

Email (address provided for service)

• A written record showing that the tenant provided the email address for service (often Form RTB-51 or the tenancy agreement)
• The sent email with timestamp, showing the recipient address, subject line, and attachment
• The attached PDF of the completed Form RTB-7

Without a written email address for service, email service is invalid regardless of whether the tenant opened the message. Keep that record with your tenancy file, not just in your inbox.

Keeping a Service Log

For landlords who manage rent increases year over year, a simple log prevents records from being lost. Each entry should capture:

1. Date of service action (mailing date, posting date, delivery date)
2. Method used (personal, door, mail, fax, email)
3. Deemed receipt date (service date + statutory delay)
4. Effective date on the Form RTB-7
5. Supporting evidence (receipt number, witness name, photo reference)

This takes two minutes to fill out at the time of service and can save hours at a hearing.

How Long to Keep Records

The RTB doesn't specify a service-record retention period. An application for dispute resolution must generally be made within two years after the tenancy ends or is assigned under Section 60 of the RTA. Keep service records for the tenancy and at least until that claim period has passed.

The BC Rent Increases guide includes a printable proof-of-service log template with fields for every delivery method.

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