Quick answer
In B.C., a landlord can only end a tenancy for a reason allowed by the Residential Tenancy Act, using the correct Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) form. For unpaid rent, the landlord gives a 10 Day Notice (RTB-30). The tenant then has 5 days to pay in full, which cancels the notice, or to apply for dispute resolution. Other deadlines to dispute: 10 days for a One Month Notice for cause, 21 days for a Three Month Notice for landlord or purchaser use, and 30 days for a Four Month Notice. Only a court-approved bailiff can physically remove a tenant; landlords cannot change the locks.
These provincial rules apply everywhere in B.C., including Surrey. We checked this guide against gov.bc.ca and the Residential Tenancy Act (current to September 22, 2026) on September 25, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. For a decision on your situation, contact the RTB or apply for dispute resolution.
Note that the Act does not cover some housing, for example when the tenant shares a kitchen or bathroom with the owner.
B.C. eviction notice types at a glance
| Reason | Form | Minimum notice | Tenant's deadline to dispute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent or utilities | 10 Day Notice, RTB-30 | 10 days | 5 days (or pay in full within 5 days) |
| Cause (damage, disturbance, repeated late rent, illegal activity and more) | One Month Notice, RTB-33 | One month, ending the day before rent is due | 10 days |
| Tenant no longer qualifies for subsidized housing | Two Month Notice, RTB-32Q | Two months | 15 days |
| Landlord or close family member moving in | Three Month Notice, RTB-32L (generated on the RTB web portal) | Three months | 21 days |
| Buyer or buyer's close family member moving in | Three Month Notice, RTB-32P (generated on the RTB web portal) | Three months | 21 days |
| Demolition, or conversion to strata, co-op or non-residential use | Four Month Notice, RTB-29 | Four months | 30 days |
| Converting the unit for a caretaker or manager | Four Month Notice, RTB-29C (web portal) | Four months | 30 days |
A landlord's notice must be on the approved form, signed and dated, with the unit address, effective date and reason. The RTB says a notice is only valid if all its pages are served.
10 Day Notice for unpaid rent (RTB-30)
If rent is late by even one day, or short by any amount, the landlord can serve a 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy for Unpaid Rent or Utilities. Within 5 days of receiving it, the tenant can:
- Pay the overdue rent in full. The notice then has no effect.
- Apply for dispute resolution if they believe the notice is wrong, for example if the rent was paid or the amount was one they were legally allowed to deduct.
If the tenant does neither, they are treated as having accepted the notice, and the landlord can use the RTB's direct request process (no hearing) for an Order of Possession and a monetary order.
Utilities: if the tenancy agreement makes the tenant pay utilities to the landlord, the landlord must first give a written demand. If the bill is still unpaid more than 30 days later, the landlord can treat it as unpaid rent and serve a 10 Day Notice.
One Month Notice for cause (RTB-33)
A landlord can give a One Month Notice for reasons set out in section 47 of the Act. These include significantly disturbing others, putting health, safety or the property at risk, illegal activity, unrepaired damage, an unpaid deposit 30 days after it was due, repeated late rent, and breaking a material term after written notice.
The effective date must be at least one month after the tenant receives the notice, and it must fall on the day before rent is due. The tenant has 10 days to dispute.
In the most serious cases, a landlord can instead apply for an expedited early end to the tenancy.
Landlord use: Three Month and Four Month Notices
A landlord who is an individual can end a tenancy if they, or a close family member (spouse, parent or child, or a spouse's parent or child), intend in good faith to live in the unit. A buyer can ask the seller in writing to give notice once all conditions of the sale are met. Key points:
- These notices must now be generated on the RTB's Landlord Use web portal: RTB-32L for landlord use, RTB-32P for purchaser use, and RTB-29C for caretaker use.
- Notice is three months for landlord or purchaser use, and the tenant has 21 days to dispute.
- In a fixed-term tenancy, the effective date cannot be before the end of the term.
- Unless the regulations say otherwise, landlord or purchaser use notices generally cannot be used in a building with 5 or more rental units that is not strata-titled.
- The tenant is entitled to one month's rent as compensation, paid on or before the effective date. The tenant can instead withhold it from the last month's rent.
- The tenant can leave sooner by giving at least 10 days' written notice, and still keeps the compensation.
Demolition or conversion (RTB-29) requires all permits and approvals first. For renovations, a landlord can't just serve a notice: they must apply to the RTB, and an arbitrator decides whether the work truly needs the unit empty.
Wrongful or bad-faith eviction: 12 months' rent
If a landlord or buyer ends a tenancy under a landlord use notice and then doesn't follow through, section 51 of the Act says they must pay the tenant an extra 12 times the monthly rent. They avoid paying only by showing the purpose was carried out within a reasonable time and the unit was used that way for the required period (12 months, according to the RTB), or if an arbitrator finds extenuating circumstances.
The former tenant claims it through RTB dispute resolution, even if the total is over the RTB's usual $35,000 limit. Where the Act sets no other deadline, claims must be filed within 2 years of the tenancy ending.
How to dispute an eviction notice in B.C.
- Check the notice: right form, all pages, served correctly, correct date.
- Apply before your deadline. Apply online through the RTB's Online Application for Dispute Resolution (you'll need a Basic BCeID), or on paper at the RTB office in Burnaby or any Service BC office. The paper form for current tenants is RTB-12T-CT.
- Pay the $100 filing fee, or ask for a fee waiver if you have a low income (form RTB-17 on paper, or on the online payment screen).
- Serve the landlord with your dispute package and prepare evidence.
- Attend the hearing. The landlord must prove the eviction is lawful. The arbitrator's decision binds both sides.
Once a tenant applies on time, the notice is on hold until the hearing. Keep paying rent while the dispute is going on. The RTB can extend a missed deadline only in exceptional circumstances, with evidence.
Important: Never ignore an eviction notice, even if you're sure it's invalid. If you don't apply within the deadline, the law treats you as having accepted the notice and agreed to move out.
How notices must be served
A landlord can serve a notice in person, through an adult who lives with the tenant, by mail, in the mailbox or by posting it on the door. Email only works if the tenant gave an email address for service (form RTB-51). Text messages don't count.
Deadlines run from when the notice is received. Under section 90 of the Act, a notice posted on the door or left in the mailbox is deemed received on the 3rd day, and one sent by mail on the 5th day, unless it was actually received earlier. Landlords can record service on form RTB-34.
Can a landlord change the locks? The legal steps to remove a tenant
No. A landlord can't physically evict a tenant, hire someone to do it, change the locks without an RTB order, or take the tenant's belongings. The RTB says a landlord who illegally evicts a tenant may face a penalty of up to $5,000 and may have to repay the tenant's costs. Police don't evict tenants on their own.
If a tenant stays after the tenancy has lawfully ended (an "overholding" tenant), the landlord must:
- Get an Order of Possession from the RTB, through a hearing or the direct request process.
- Serve it on the tenant.
- Wait out the 2-day review period. If the tenant applies for review (form RTB-2), the order is on hold until the review is decided.
- Take the order to the B.C. Supreme Court for a Writ of Possession.
- Hire a court-approved bailiff to enforce it.
A tenant who doesn't dispute a notice, or who loses at the hearing, must move out by 1pm on the day the tenancy ends. Overholding tenants can owe the landlord for the extra time and may have to pay court and bailiff costs.
For landlords: evicting a tenant for not paying rent
Serve a 10 Day Notice (RTB-30) once rent is unpaid and keep proof of service. If the tenant hasn't paid in full or disputed within 5 days of receiving it, apply through the direct request process (paper form RTB-12L-DR) for an Order of Possession and a monetary order. Then follow the enforcement steps above. Never lock the tenant out.
Contact the Residential Tenancy Branch
Call 604-660-1020 in the Lower Mainland (including Surrey), 250-387-1602 in Victoria, or 1-800-665-8779 elsewhere in B.C., Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (11am to 4pm on the last Wednesday of the month). You can also email HSRTO@gov.bc.ca, but you can't apply for dispute resolution by email. Information officers explain the rules but can't give legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a tenant have to pay after a 10 day eviction notice in BC?
5 days from receiving the notice. Paying the full overdue rent within those 5 days cancels the notice.
How long do I have to dispute an eviction notice in BC?
5 days for a 10 Day Notice, 10 days for a One Month Notice, 15 days for a Two Month Notice, 21 days for a Three Month Notice, and 30 days for a Four Month Notice.
Can my landlord evict me in 30 days to move in?
No. A landlord use notice must now give three months' notice, must be generated on the RTB portal, and comes with one month's rent in compensation.
What happens if my landlord doesn't move in after evicting me?
You can apply to the RTB for compensation of 12 times the monthly rent, unless the landlord proves they used the unit for the stated purpose or an arbitrator finds extenuating circumstances.
Can my landlord kick me out in Surrey without going to the RTB?
No. A landlord needs a valid notice, and then an Order of Possession if you don't leave. Only a court-approved bailiff with a Writ of Possession can remove you.
Official sources
- Residential Tenancy Act — BC Laws
- Evictions — Government of B.C.
- Types of evictions — Government of B.C.
- Disputing an eviction — Government of B.C.
- Tenancy dispute resolution — Government of B.C.
- Fees and fee waivers — Government of B.C.
- Order of Possession — Government of B.C.
- Communication and serving notices — Government of B.C.
- Moving out of rental units / Deposits — Government of B.C.
- Residential tenancy forms — Government of B.C.
- 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy, RTB-30 (PDF) — Government of B.C.
- One Month Notice to End Tenancy, RTB-33 (PDF) — Government of B.C.
- Four Month Notice to End Tenancy, RTB-29 (PDF) — Government of B.C.
- Contact the Residential Tenancy Branch — Government of B.C.
General information only, not professional advice. Rules and prices change, so check the official sources above before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.