What's typically included in Kamloops rent?

Purpose-built apartment buildings near downtown Kamloops and the North Shore commonly include heat and water, with tenants covering their own electricity (BC Hydro) and internet. Student housing near Thompson Rivers University is more mixed, so always confirm exactly what's covered in writing before you sign.

What is BC's rent increase cap for 2026 and 2027?

British Columbia sets an annual maximum rent increase for existing tenancies. The cap is 2.3 percent for 2026 and 2.2 percent for 2027 (effective January 1, 2027), tied to inflation under the province's rent-increase formula. It applies once per 12-month period with proper written notice, and landlords cannot raise rent above the cap without a Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) order for specific, limited circumstances (such as major capital expenditures). The cap does not apply to a new tenancy's opening rent, only to increases on an existing tenancy.

How does a security deposit work in Kamloops?

BC landlords can collect a security deposit of up to half a month's rent, separate and refundable, unlike Ontario's last-month-rent model. On top of that, if you have a pet, a landlord can also collect a separate pet damage deposit, also capped at half a month's rent. Both deposits must be returned within 15 days after the tenancy ends and the landlord receives your forwarding address, or the landlord must apply to the RTB to keep some or all of it. A written condition inspection report at move-in and move-out is the record the RTB relies on if a deposit dispute arises.

How do I dispute my landlord at BC's Residential Tenancy Branch?

The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) is BC's tribunal for residential tenancy disputes, covering everything from illegal rent increases and repairs to eviction applications and deposit disputes. Most disputes go through the Dispute Resolution process, which can be a written hearing or a phone/video hearing depending on the issue. Bring your tenancy agreement, all written correspondence with your landlord, photos or your condition inspection report, and any notices you received or served. For deposit deductions specifically, BC landlords are required to use a specific RTB form; without one, their position is weak.

Can my landlord enter without notice?

No, with narrow exceptions. BC's Residential Tenancy Act requires landlords to give at least 24 hours' written notice before entering for a reasonable purpose (repairs, inspections, showings to prospective tenants or buyers), and the notice must specify the reason and the time of entry. Emergencies (fire, flood, gas leak, and similar) are the main exception where notice is not required. Repeated no-notice entries can be raised with the RTB as a breach of the tenancy.

What if my landlord wants to end my tenancy to sell or move in?

A sale alone does not end your tenancy; the new owner takes over the existing agreement on the same terms. If the landlord or a close family member intends to personally occupy the unit, or if the property is being sold and the purchaser wants to move in, the landlord can serve a notice to end tenancy for landlord's use, generally with two months' written notice and, in most cases, compensation equal to one month's rent. Kamloops fixed-term tenancies typically require 30 days' notice to end at the term's expiry, so check your specific notice type and deadline carefully.

Is SQRFT a rental platform, or does it also list homes for sale?

SQRFT is a rental-only platform. Searches like "apartments for sale Kamloops" describe buying a home, which is a different market with different listings, financing, and legal process than renting. Every listing on SQRFT is a rental unit. If you're looking to buy, you'll need a real estate agent and a separate resale listing service.

Kamloops, British Columbia Canada

Living and Renting in Kamloops in 2026

Real landmarks, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords in the regional hub of BC's Thompson-Nicola interior, home to Thompson Rivers University.

Browse Kamloops rentals

Population

108,793

StatCan, 2025

Universities

Thompson Rivers University, ~25,754 students

At the

Confluence

North & South Thompson Rivers

Transit

14 routes

Kamloops Transit System, BC Transit

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 20, 2026 8 min read

Section 1

What we know (and don't) about Kamloops rents

Kamloops does not currently appear in CMHC's Fall 2025 Rental Market Report, which covers only British Columbia's largest CMAs, nor is it named in Rentals.ca's September 2026 National Rent Report. Rather than estimate or borrow a number from a nearby market, we're telling you plainly: there is currently no verified average-rent or vacancy-rate figure we can cite for Kamloops from either primary source.

The practical read

For a real sense of current asking rents, browse live SQRFT listings in Kamloops directly. Expect competition to run highest near Thompson Rivers University and downtown in the weeks before the fall semester.

Section 2

Where people rent in Kamloops

A regional interior hub with its own economic base — not a satellite of Vancouver or the Lower Mainland.

Regional hub of the Thompson-Nicola interior at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers; economy mixes forestry, mining, health care, and Thompson Rivers University's large distance-education student base.

Landmarks that anchor each area

Kenna Cartwright Park (BC's largest municipal park)

A defining Kamloops landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

BC Wildlife Park

A defining Kamloops landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

Kamloops Bike Ranch

A defining Kamloops landmark renters use to orient themselves by area.

SQRFT is building out detailed neighborhood-level pages across Kamloops. In the meantime, browse live listings from the rentals index and filter by area.

Section 3

Kamloops schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend.

The public board

Kamloops/Thompson School District 73

SD73

Serves families across Kamloops and the surrounding area with designated catchment schools plus alternative and specialized programs.

How to find a school for your address

1
Use the board's school locator first.Enter the address on the SD73 site and it returns the designated school for each grade level.
2
Check whether the school is capped.Growing subdivisions on Kamloops' Aberdeen and Batchelor Heights areas can see designated schools close to non-catchment students.
3
Confirm before you sign the lease.School-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button once you have committed to a lease term.

Public and private options

•
Public (SD73):free, catchment-based, Kamloops' single public school board covering the whole city and surrounding area, BC's standard one-board-per-region model.
•
Private schools:a modest presence, concentrated within Kamloops proper.

Section 4

Kamloops universities and post-secondary

Thompson Rivers University enrolls roughly 25,754 students, including a large distance-education cohort.

Thompson Rivers University

~25,754 students

TRU

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of TRU.

Timing tip

Rentals near Thompson Rivers University hit peak demand in August and September as students sign leases for the fall semester, and again in the spring for the following year.

Section 5

Getting around Kamloops

Kamloops Transit System runs local routes across the city.

The essentials

•
Operated by BC Transit, 14 routes

Commuter access

Kamloops sits at the junction of the Trans-Canada and Yellowhead highways, which can make rentals near downtown or major bus routes attractive to residents who want to minimize daily drive time across the city's spread-out layout.

Section 6

What it costs to live in Kamloops in 2026

Rent is the biggest line, but not the only one. Here's how Kamloops' fixed costs compare.

Where Kamloops wins

•
Diverse, regional-hub economy.Royal Inland Hospital, Thompson Rivers University, forestry (Domtar), and mining (New Gold Inc.) all anchor stable, non-cyclical employment.
•
A separate, refundable security deposit.BC law allows a refundable deposit capped at half a month's rent, plus a separate pet deposit if applicable, unlike Ontario's last-month-rent-only model.
•
GST only, no provincial sales tax on most goods.BC charges 5 percent GST, a partial offset to overall living costs.

Where Kamloops is expensive

•
Hot, dry summers drive cooling costs.July average highs near 29.3°C are among the hottest summer averages in BC, pushing up air-conditioning use.
•
Student-driven seasonal competition.Renters competing for units near Thompson Rivers University in August and September should expect faster-moving listings.
•
Limited public rent-benchmark data.Without a CMHC or Rentals.ca figure to check against, renters have to rely more on comparing live listings directly rather than a published city average.

For live monthly cost-of-living data, Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index release publishes regional CPI components you can use as a proxy for the broader Kamloops area.

Section 7

Kamloops events, culture, and why people love it here

The last section before we get to the practical answers. If you're deciding whether to move to Kamloops in the first place, this is what tips the scale.

Kamloops pairs a semi-arid interior setting at the confluence of the North and South Thompson Rivers with a mixed economy of forestry, mining, and health care, plus a large Thompson Rivers University student population that gives the city a younger, campus-town energy alongside its regional-hub role.

Major annual events

Kamloops Wine Festival

Spring

A signature Kamloops event drawing large crowds citywide.

Salute to the Sockeye Festival

Late September-mid-October

A signature Kamloops event drawing large crowds citywide.

Kamloops' sports scene

Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

A hometown team Kamloops residents follow closely.

Kamloops NorthPaws (West Coast League baseball)

A hometown team Kamloops residents follow closely.

Kamloops' climate

Semi-arid interior climate with cold winters (January average low around -5.7°C) and hot, dry summers (July average high 29.3°C), among the hottest summer averages in BC.

Section 8

Renting in Kamloops: BC tenancy law essentials

These rules apply to every Kamloops rental, set out in BC's Residential Tenancy Act and enforced by the Residential Tenancy Branch. Bookmark this section.

The common rule of thumb is 30 percent of gross monthly income on housing (rent plus utilities). Neither CMHC's Rental Market Report nor Rentals.ca's National Rent Report currently publishes a standalone average rent figure for Kamloops, so we won't estimate one. Check live listings on SQRFT for current asking rents in the neighborhood you're targeting, and use our affordability calculator once you have a real number to test.

Try the free rent affordability calculator →

Section 9

Live Kamloops rentals on SQRFT

Browse listings across Kamloops. All listings verified. Free to list.

Browse Kamloops listings

Pricing

What should Kamloops rent cost?

Get a free rent estimate

SQRFT Rent Estimator

See a data-driven rent range for your Kamloops property based on our Canadian rental market model.

Sources

Living and Renting in Kamloops in 2026

What we know (and don't) about Kamloops rents

Where people rent in Kamloops

Landmarks that anchor each area

Kamloops schools and school boards

The public board

How to find a school for your address

Public and private options

Kamloops universities and post-secondary

Getting around Kamloops

The essentials

What it costs to live in Kamloops in 2026

Where Kamloops wins

Where Kamloops is expensive

Kamloops events, culture, and why people love it here

Major annual events

Kamloops' sports scene

Kamloops' climate

Renting in Kamloops: BC tenancy law essentials

Live Kamloops rentals on SQRFT

Related SQRFT content

What should Kamloops rent cost?

Where this information comes from