Renoviction BC Rules: Demolition, Conversion, and Renovation Notices

Renovictions No Longer Use a Direct Notice

British Columbia has fundamentally changed how landlords can end tenancies for renovations. Under RTA section 49.2, you can no longer serve a standard eviction notice to vacant a unit for major repairs or renovations. Instead, you must apply to the RTB for pre-approval — a process that requires a hearing, municipal permits, and evidence that vacant possession is genuinely necessary.

The old approach — serving a two-month renovation notice — is gone. Landlords who attempt to use legacy forms or processes will find their applications dismissed.

Demolition and Conversion: Form RTB-29

If you're demolishing a building or converting it to strata, co-operative, or non-residential use, the route is different from renovation. Form RTB-29 is a four-month notice to end tenancy that you can serve directly — no RTB pre-approval hearing is required.

Requirements:

• All necessary municipal permits must be in place before you serve
• The notice period is four months from deemed receipt, aligned with the rental payment cycle
• The tenant has a 30-day dispute window
• You must pay one month's rent as compensation on or before the effective date

If the tenant doesn't dispute, you can apply for an Order of Possession through the Direct Request process. If they dispute, the RTB schedules a participatory hearing.

Major Renovations: The Pre-Approval Process

For renovations or repairs that require the tenant to vacate, the process under section 49.2 is:

1. Secure municipal permits first. Building, plumbing, electrical — whatever the scope of work requires. You cannot apply to the RTB without permits already in hand.

2. Apply to the RTB for dispute resolution. Submit an application requesting an Order of Possession for renovations through your Basic BCeID.

3. Attend a participatory hearing. This is mandatory — no Direct Request option. At the hearing, you must prove on a balance of probabilities that:

• The renovations or repairs are necessary to prolong or maintain the use of the property
• The only reasonable way to accomplish the work is to require the unit to be vacant

This second point is critical. If the work could be done with the tenant in place — even with some inconvenience — the arbitrator may deny the order. You need contractor evidence or engineering assessments showing that vacant possession is the only practical option.

4. If granted, the order specifies the effective date. The earliest possible date is four months after the arbitrator's decision. One month's rent compensation is required.

Right of First Refusal

In residential buildings with five or more rental units, tenants evicted for major renovations hold a statutory right of first refusal to return to the unit after the work is complete.

The process requires two additional forms:

• Form RTB-28: The tenant serves this on the landlord before vacating, formally exercising their right of first refusal
• Form RTB-35: The landlord serves this 45-day notice of availability on the returning tenant before the renovations are complete

The landlord must offer the renovated unit at a rent comparable to market conditions. Failure to honour the right of first refusal exposes the landlord to financial penalties through the RTB.

Municipal Overlays

Provincial rules are the floor, not the ceiling. Municipalities can add their own tenant protection requirements on top of the RTA process.

Vancouver's Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy (TRPP) is the most significant overlay. When redevelopment or major renovation displaces tenants in the TRPP's coverage areas (including the Broadway Plan and Rupert-Renfrew area), landlords and developers must provide:

• Enhanced financial compensation based on length of tenancy
• Moving stipends
• Dedicated relocation assistance
• Right-of-first-refusal rent discounts (20% below market for returning tenants)

Victoria's Tenant Assistance Policy (TAP) applies similar protections during multi-unit redevelopment.

These municipal requirements operate alongside the provincial RTB process. Meeting the provincial standard doesn't automatically satisfy the municipal one.

Why This Matters for Smaller Landlords

The pre-approval process for renovations was designed to prevent bad-faith renovictions — landlords using minor cosmetic work as a pretext to vacate units and re-rent at higher prices. For landlords with legitimate renovation needs, the process is slower and more burdensome than a direct notice, but it's the only lawful path.

If the work genuinely requires vacant possession, start early. The permit acquisition, RTB application, hearing scheduling, and four-month order period can add up to six months or more from your first step to the tenant's move-out date.

For the full four-month notice and renovation pre-approval workflow, see the Ending a Tenancy in British Columbia guide.

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