Security Deposits in British Columbia

Unlike Ontario, which does not permit a damage deposit at all, British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) allows a landlord to collect two separate deposits: a security deposit, capped at half of one month's rent, and, if you have a pet, a separate pet damage deposit, also capped at half of one month's rent, regardless of how many pets you have.

A landlord cannot charge a recurring monthly pet fee on top of the pet damage deposit. Together, the two deposits mean a landlord can collect up to a full month's rent in deposits, split across the two purposes.

After your tenancy ends, the landlord has 15 days from whichever happens later, the tenancy ending or the landlord receiving your forwarding address in writing, to either return your deposit(s) in full or file a Dispute Resolution application with the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) to claim against them.

Giving your landlord your forwarding address in writing, and keeping proof you did so, is an important step since the 15-day clock depends on it.

If a landlord does neither, does not return your deposit(s) and does not file for Dispute Resolution within the 15-day window, the landlord can be ordered to pay you double the deposit amount(s). This is a meaningful incentive for landlords to act within the window.

Tenants recovering a deposit this way can use the fast-track RTB-12T-DR (Direct Request) form, which becomes available starting 20 days after the tenancy ends and the forwarding address has been given.

British Columbia has a hard rule tied to move-in and move-out inspections: a landlord who fails to offer the tenant at least two opportunities for a joint condition inspection forfeits their right to claim against the deposit for damage. This is not discretionary. The same two-sided form, RTB-27 (Condition Inspection Report), is used at both move-in and move-out.

If your landlord never offered you a proper inspection opportunity at move-in or move-out, that matters directly to whether they can later make a damage claim against your deposit.