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6 MINKnow Your Rights · Guide · Canada

Rent Increases & Eviction Notices in Ontario, BC & Alberta

The iamonmybreak Desk · Last checked 2026-11-13

A text message, WhatsApp note, or informal email saying “rent goes up next month” or “please move out by the 1st” does not legally raise rent or evict a covered tenant in Ontario, British Columbia, or Alberta. In all three provinces, residential tenancy law requires proper written notice, strict waiting periods, and an order from a tribunal or court before any lock can lawfully be changed.

PART 1: Rent-increase rules & caps in Ontario, BC, and Alberta

Across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta, rent for an existing covered tenancy can be increased at most once every 12 months (at least 12 months / 365 days after the tenancy started or after the last legal rent increase). Current provincial caps and deposit rules are also tracked on our Cost of living Facts pages.

Ontario (Residential Tenancies Act, 2006)

  • Annual rent-increase guideline: 2.1% for 2026 (for increases taking effect between January 1 and December 31, 2026) and 1.9% for 2027 (for increases taking effect in 2027), unless the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) approves an above-guideline application.
  • The November 15, 2018 exemption: Rental units in new buildings, additions to existing buildings, and most new basement apartments first occupied for residential purposes after November 15, 2018 are exempt from the percentage cap — though the 12-month frequency limit and 90-day Form N1 notice requirement still apply.
  • Required form and notice: At least 90 days’ written notice on LTB Form N1 (Notice of Rent Increase, or Form N2 for partially exempt units). An informal text, email, or verbal demand is invalid; a tenant who paid an unlawful increase can apply to the LTB within 12 months after the improper amount was first charged to recover it.

British Columbia (Residential Tenancy Act)

  • Annual rent-increase limit: 2.3% for 2026 (effective dates in 2026) and 2.2% for 2027 (effective dates in 2027). Landlords cannot round up past the limit or carry forward unused percentages from prior years.
  • Required form and notice: At least 3 full months’ written notice using official Form RTB-7 (Notice of Rent Increase – Residential Rental Units), served under B.C.’s statutory service rules before the day rent is due. A text message, email without agreed electronic service of Form RTB-7, or homemade letter has no legal effect, and a tenant is not required to pay an unlawful increase.

Alberta (Residential Tenancies Act)

  • Annual rent-increase cap: None — Alberta has no statutory percentage cap on rent increases.
  • Timing and lease rules: Rent cannot be increased during a fixed-term lease, and at least 365 days (1 year) must pass since the start of the tenancy or the last rent increase, whichever is later.
  • Required written notice (periodic tenancies): For a month-to-month periodic tenancy, the landlord must serve at least 3 full tenancy months’ written notice (12 full tenancy weeks for a week-to-week periodic tenancy). Under Alberta law, the written notice is invalid unless it states the date, the effective date of the increase, and the landlord’s signature — so an unsigned text message does not legally raise the rent.

PART 2: Eviction notices — forms, deadlines, and who can enforce

In all three provinces, a landlord cannot change the locks, shut off utilities, or put a tenant’s belongings outside on their own. Even an official eviction notice is a notice, not a physical eviction order.

Ontario — Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)

  • Official N-forms required: A landlord must first serve the proper LTB notice — such as Form N4 (non-payment of rent: at least 7 days’ notice for notices served on or after September 21, 2026, voided if all rent arrears are paid before the termination date), Form N5 (interfering with others/damage), Form N12 (landlord, purchaser, or close family member moving in: at least 60 days’ notice ending at the end of a rental period, plus 1 month’s rent compensation — or compensation waived when 120+ days’ notice is given for personal use under post-September 21, 2026 rules), or Form N13 (demolition/major repairs/conversion: 120 days’ notice).
  • Only the LTB and Sheriff can evict: A tenant does not have to move out just because an N-form termination date arrives if they disagree with the notice; the landlord must file an application with the LTB, prove the case at an LTB hearing, obtain an eviction order, and have that order enforced solely by the Court Enforcement Office (Sheriff).

British Columbia — Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB)

  • Strict tenant dispute deadlines (do not ignore an RTB form): Unlike Ontario, in British Columbia a tenant who wants to challenge a valid RTB eviction notice must file an Application for Dispute Resolution with the RTB before the deadline on the form, or the law treats the tenancy as ending:
  • 10 Day Notice for Unpaid Rent or Utilities (Form RTB-30): 5 days to pay all rent owed in full (which cancels the notice) or file an RTB dispute.
  • One Month Notice for Cause (Form RTB-33): 10 calendar days to file an RTB dispute.
  • Three Month Notice for Landlord’s or Purchaser’s Occupancy (Forms RTB-32L / RTB-32P, generated through the RTB web portal with a unique Notice ID): 21 days to file an RTB dispute; carries 1 month’s rent compensation and a 12-month good-faith occupancy requirement.
  • Four Month Notice for Demolition or Conversion (or Renovation application process): 30 days to dispute.
  • Physical enforcement: Filing an RTB dispute on time puts the notice on hold until the arbitrator’s hearing. Even if the RTB grants an Order of Possession, a landlord cannot physically remove a tenant without obtaining a Writ of Possession from the B.C. Supreme Court and hiring a court-approved bailiff.

Alberta — Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) & Courts

  • Official signed written notices:
  • Ending a monthly periodic tenancy for a prescribed reason (such as landlord/relative occupancy, unconditional sale where buyer requests vacant possession, or demolition): 3 full tenancy months’ signed written notice stating the address, end date, signature, and prescribed reason (1 year’s notice for major renovations requiring vacancy or condo conversion). Fixed-term leases in Alberta end automatically on the end date in the lease without notice unless renewed.
  • 14-day substantial breach notice: At least 14 clear days’ signed written notice (for unpaid rent, paying all rent arrears before the termination date makes the notice ineffective; for other alleged breaches, a tenant’s written notice of objection served before the termination date blocks the notice until the landlord applies to RTDRS or court).
  • 24-hour notice: Reserved exclusively for significant damage to the premises or physical assault / threat of assault.
  • Physical enforcement: If a tenant does not vacate, a landlord cannot self-evict — they must obtain a possession order from RTDRS or the Court of King’s Bench, enforced by an authorized civil enforcement agency.

PART 3: Written reply when a rent hike or eviction arrives by text

If a landlord sends an informal text, WhatsApp message, or email demanding an immediate rent increase or move-out without the required statutory notice or form, keep the reply calm, short, and dated:

Copy, fill in, send

Subject: Rental unit at [full street address and unit] — written notice rules

Hello [Landlord or Property Manager name],

I received your message dated [date] regarding [a proposed rent increase to $X / asking me to vacate by (date)].

Under [Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act / British Columbia’s Residential Tenancy Act / Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act], changes to rent or ending a tenancy require [90 days’ written notice on LTB Form N1 / 3 full months’ written notice on Form RTB-7 or the required RTB notice form / signed written notice meeting the statutory notice period and requirements].

Until valid written notice is served in accordance with provincial tenancy rules, my lawful rent remains $[current rent] payable on the [1st / due day] of each month, which I will continue paying on schedule.

Thank you, [Your full name] · [Unit number]

⚠️ Where these rules stop. Standard residential tenancy protections in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta do not cover roommates or boarders who share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner (or with the owner’s spouse/child/parent in several statutory exclusions), nor do they cover sub-tenants/occupants who rent a room from a head tenant without a direct tenancy agreement with the landlord. Separate rules also apply to social/geared-to-income housing, non-profit housing co-operatives, mobile-home / manufactured-home pad tenancies, student residences run by schools, and seasonal/hotel stays. Fixed-term leases in Alberta end automatically on their stated end date without landlord notice, unlike in Ontario and British Columbia where most fixed-term tenancies automatically convert to month-to-month unless lawfully ended. Tenants in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut have separate provincial or territorial tenancy boards and caps. Quebec (Tribunal administratif du logement) is not covered on this page (Quebec tenancy rules will be added alongside a French edition).

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iamonmybreak publishes general information for working people. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it is not a substitute for advice about your own situation. Rules differ by province and country and change over time; the date at the top of this piece is when we last checked. For your specific case, especially anything involving money you are owed, contact a free community legal clinic or your provincial or territorial labour standards office.