How to Evict a Tenant in BC: Common Lawful Grounds Explained

BC Landlords Need a Statutory Ground to End a Tenancy

Under the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA), a landlord cannot end a tenancy for an arbitrary reason. The Act provides specific grounds, including some that do not depend on tenant fault, and requires the prescribed RTB form for each notice. Serving the wrong form, miscalculating the notice period, or skipping the proof-of-service step can void the process and force you to start over.

Here are common lawful grounds, the forms required, and the timelines to follow.

Unpaid Rent: 10-Day Notice (Form RTB-30)

When rent is overdue, serve Form RTB-30. The tenant has five days from receipt to pay in full or file for dispute resolution. If they pay everything within that five-day window, the notice is automatically cancelled — you cannot proceed even if you've already filed.

For unpaid utilities, the process adds a step: you must first send a 30-day written demand to pay utilities. Only after that demand goes unanswered can you serve RTB-30.

Cause or Breach: One-Month Notice (Form RTB-33)

Form RTB-33 covers material breaches of the tenancy agreement — repeated late rent, property damage, significant disturbance to other occupants, or other violations of a material term. The tenant has 10 days to dispute.

For breach of a specific tenancy term, you need evidence that you served a prior written warning letter giving the tenant a reasonable deadline to fix the problem, and that they failed to comply. Without that documented warning, an RTB arbitrator will likely dismiss the application.

This form also covers end-of-employment tenancies — when a tenant's right to occupy the unit was tied to their job and the employment has ended.

Landlord or Family Personal Use: Three-Month Notice (Web Portal — RTB-32L)

If you or a close family member intends to move into the unit, you must generate Form RTB-32L through the Landlord Use Web Portal using a Basic BCeID. Paper forms are not accepted for this ground — a manually filled PDF will be dismissed as invalid.

"Close family member" is strictly defined: only the landlord, their spouse, or the child or parent of either. Siblings, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and corporate officers do not qualify.

You cannot serve this notice if the building has five or more rental units and is not strata-titled, or if it is strata-titled and has five or more rental units owned by the same owner.

The tenant has 21 days to dispute. You must pay compensation equal to one month's rent on or before the effective date. For notices given on or after April 3, 2024, you or your family member must use the unit for the stated purpose for at least 12 months beginning within a reasonable period after the effective date. If the purpose is not accomplished or the unit is not used as required, section 51(2) requires additional compensation equal to 12 times the monthly rent, unless the RTB excuses payment because of extenuating circumstances.

Purchaser Personal Use: Three-Month Notice (Web Portal — RTB-32P)

When you sell a tenanted property and the buyer wants to move in, Form RTB-32P is generated through the same Landlord Use Web Portal. The sale contract must be fully executed with all subject conditions removed before you can generate the notice. The purchaser must provide a written request asking you to serve it.

Same compensation rules apply: one month's rent, paid on or before the effective date. For notices given on or after April 3, 2024, the purchaser must use the unit for the stated purpose for at least 12 months beginning within a reasonable period after the effective date; section 51(2) requires additional compensation equal to 12 times the monthly rent if the purpose is not carried out as required, unless the RTB excuses payment because of extenuating circumstances.

Demolition or Conversion: Four-Month Notice (Form RTB-29)

If you're demolishing the building or converting it to strata, co-op, or non-residential use, serve Form RTB-29 with four months' notice. The tenant gets a 30-day dispute window. Compensation of one month's rent is required.

Municipal permits must be in place before you serve the notice. In buildings with five or more units, displaced tenants hold a statutory right of first refusal to return after the work is complete (via Form RTB-28).

Major Renovations: RTB Pre-Approval Required

You cannot serve a direct eviction notice for renovations. Under RTA section 49.2, you must first obtain all municipal building permits, then apply to the RTB for an Order of Possession. An arbitrator conducts an oral hearing to determine whether the renovations genuinely require the unit to be vacant and whether the work is necessary to maintain or prolong the property's use.

If the order is granted, the effective date is no earlier than four months after the decision. One month's rent compensation applies.

What Happens After the Notice Period Expires

If the tenant doesn't dispute and doesn't leave, you apply for an Order of Possession — either through the Direct Request process (a document-only review available for some undisputed notices, including RTB-30, RTB-33, RTB-32Q, and RTB-29) or a participatory hearing (required for RTB-32L and RTB-32P).

If the tenant disputes the notice, the eviction is automatically suspended until the RTB hears the case and issues a decision.

Even with an Order of Possession, you cannot change locks or remove the tenant yourself. The order must be filed with the BC Supreme Court to obtain a Writ of Possession, which is then enforced by a court-appointed bailiff.

The Process in Summary

For the notice-based grounds in this guide, identify the ground, serve the correct prescribed form, document how and when it was served with Form RTB-34 or other reliable evidence, wait for the dispute window and notice period to pass, and apply for an Order of Possession if the tenant hasn't vacated.

The Ending a Tenancy in British Columbia guide walks through each step with deemed service calculations, a proof-of-service log, and the full form-to-ground matching matrix so you never serve the wrong notice.

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