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

SQRFT is a rental-only platform. Searches like "condos for sale Richmond" or "houses for sale Steveston" 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.

What's typically included in Richmond rent?

It varies by building type. Older purpose-built rental apartments often include heat and hot water in the rent, with tenants paying their own electricity (BC Hydro) and internet. Newer condo rentals near the City Centre are more mixed: some landlords absorb strata heating/water charges, others pass everything through. Basement (secondary) suites, common across Richmond's single-family neighborhoods, are usually all-inclusive since separate metering is rarely practical. Always confirm which utilities are included 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 Richmond?

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. Richmond's fixed-term tenancies typically require 30 days' notice to end at the term's expiry, shorter than Alberta's 60-day standard, so check your specific notice type and deadline carefully.

Richmond, British Columbia Canada

Rentals Richmond: Renting in Richmond in 2026

Real neighborhoods, real answers. The complete SQRFT guide for renters and landlords in the island city built around Vancouver International Airport.

Browse Richmond rentals

Population

239,584

StatCan, Jul 2025

Home to

YVR Airport

Vancouver Int'l Airport

SkyTrain

Canada Line

7 stations in Richmond

Universities

KPU Richmond

FFrancis, SQRFT TeamCanadian Rental Market Analysts, SQRFT Editorial Team Updated September 20, 2026 9 min read

Section 1

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

Richmond does not currently appear as its own line item in CMHC's Fall 2025 Rental Market Report, nor is it named in Rentals.ca's September 2026 National Rent Report. CMHC does publish a Vancouver CMA (Census Metropolitan Area) figure, but that number is metro-wide, covering Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, and the rest of the region together. It is not a Richmond-specific figure, and we won't present it as one. Rather than estimate or borrow a number from a neighbouring market, we're telling you plainly: there is currently no verified average-rent or vacancy-rate figure we can cite for Richmond on its own from either primary source.

The practical read

For a real sense of current asking rents, browse live SQRFT listings in Richmond directly. Expect the tightest competition around the City Centre, near the Canada Line stations, and close to KPU Richmond in the weeks before each semester starts.

Section 2

Where people rent in Richmond: the area guide

Richmond splits broadly into three areas: the dense, fast-growing City Centre, the historic waterfront village of Steveston, and the more industrial and agricultural East Richmond.

City Centre

Richmond-Brighouse area around the Canada Line terminus, the city's densest and fastest-growing high-rise residential and retail core.

Steveston

Historic fishing village on the south shore, Britannia Shipyards and Gulf of Georgia Cannery national historic sites, lower-density and heritage-oriented.

East Richmond

More industrial and agricultural land use, includes Bridgeport and areas closer to the Fraser River's south arm.

Richmond

City Centre

Renting in City Centre, Richmond.

Steveston

Renting in Steveston, Richmond.

Broadmoor

Renting in Broadmoor, Richmond.

Blundell

Renting in Blundell, Richmond.

Seafair

Renting in Seafair, Richmond.

Thompson

Renting in Thompson, Richmond.

Shellmont

Renting in Shellmont, Richmond.

West Cambie

Renting in West Cambie, Richmond.

East Cambie

Renting in East Cambie, Richmond.

Hamilton

Renting in Hamilton, Richmond.

Bridgeport

Renting in Bridgeport, Richmond.

Sea Island

Renting in Sea Island, Richmond.

Burkeville

Renting in Burkeville, Richmond.

Golden Village

Renting in Golden Village, Richmond.

East Richmond

Renting in East Richmond, Richmond.

Gilmore

Renting in Gilmore, Richmond.

Fraser Lands

Renting in Fraser Lands, Richmond.

Ironwood

Renting in Ironwood, Richmond.

Crestwood

Renting in Crestwood, Richmond.

Section 3

Richmond schools and school boards

Where you live decides which public school your kids attend. This is one of the biggest reasons families move within Richmond.

The public board

Richmond School District 38

SD38

Serves families across the City of Richmond 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 Richmond School District 38 site and it returns the designated school for each grade level.
2
Check whether the school is capped.Popular schools in growing areas like the City Centre regularly close to non-designated students. The locator will flag it.
3
Look up program options.French immersion and other specialized programs often draw from wider catchment zones with their own application process.
4
Confirm before you sign the lease.Richmond rentals move fast, and school-driven address decisions do not have a rewind button.

Public vs private

•
Public (SD38):free, catchment-based, Richmond's single public school board.
•
Private and independent schools:a modest presence across Richmond, with tuition typically $15,000 to $35,000+ per year.

Section 4

Richmond universities and post-secondary

Richmond's KPU campus is a defining feature of the City Centre's rental demand, with a distinct semester-driven cycle.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Richmond campus)

~20,000 students

KPU Richmond

Students concentrate in neighborhoods within walking or short-transit distance of the KPU Richmond campus.

Timing tip

Rentals near KPU Richmond typically see peak demand in August and early September as students sign leases for the fall semester. If you are a landlord targeting students, list early. If you are a student looking for the best selection, start hunting by July.

Section 5

Getting around Richmond

Richmond sits directly on Vancouver's Canada Line corridor and is home to YVR, which shapes rental demand along the SkyTrain stations.

The essentials

•
SkyTrain Canada Line: YVR-Airport, Sea Island Centre, Templeton, Bridgeport, Lansdowne, Aberdeen, Richmond-Brighouse stations

Airport-adjacent living

Richmond's biggest transit advantage is the Canada Line running straight through it, connecting Richmond-Brighouse to Downtown Vancouver in about 25 minutes and to YVR in a couple of stops. That makes Richmond a practical base for airport, airline, and Vancouver Airport Authority employees, as well as commuters who work downtown but want to avoid downtown rents.

Section 6

What it costs to live in Richmond in 2026

Rent is the biggest line, but not the only one. Here's how Richmond's fixed costs stack against the rest of Canada.

Where Richmond wins

•
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.
•
Mild, temperate oceanic climate.Winters average around 0.9°C, keeping heating costs lower than Toronto, Calgary, or Ottawa.
•
Direct SkyTrain access.The Canada Line reduces the need for a car for many Richmond commuters heading downtown or to the airport.

Where Richmond is expensive

•
Metro Vancouver housing pressure.Richmond sits inside one of Canada's most expensive metro rental markets, even without a standalone published figure of its own.
•
Parking and car ownership.Newer City Centre high-rise buildings frequently price parking separately from the unit itself.
•
GST only, no provincial sales tax on most goods.BC charges 5 percent GST versus Ontario's combined 13 percent HST, a partial offset to the higher cost of housing.

For live monthly cost-of-living data, Statistics Canada's Consumer Price Index release publishes the Vancouver CMA component broken down by category.

Section 7

Richmond 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 Richmond in the first place, this is what tips the scale.

Richmond's identity runs from Steveston's historic fishing-village waterfront to the dense, rapidly growing high-rises of the City Centre, with a large Asian-Canadian population and food scene that draws visitors from across Metro Vancouver.

Major annual events

Richmond Maritime Festival

August, Britannia Shipyards

A signature Richmond event drawing large crowds citywide.

Steveston Salmon Festival

Canada Day (July 1)

A signature Richmond event drawing large crowds citywide.

Richmond's climate

Temperate oceanic climate. Mild winters (January average low around 0.9°C) and warm summers (July average high 23.9°C), measured at the Richmond Nature Park station.

Section 8

Renting in Richmond: BC tenancy law essentials

These rules apply to every Richmond 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 Fall 2025 Rental Market Report nor Rentals.ca's September 2026 National Rent Report publishes a Richmond-specific average rent figure. CMHC's Vancouver CMA number covers the whole metro area, not Richmond on its own, so we won't present it as a Richmond figure. 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 Richmond rentals on SQRFT

Browse listings across Richmond neighborhoods. All listings verified. Free to list.

Browse Richmond listings

Pricing

What should Richmond rent cost?

Get a free rent estimate

SQRFT Rent Estimator

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

Sources