Tenancy Agreements租赁合同
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you'll be able to:
- Use the RTB-1 standard tenancy agreement correctly — and know what it must contain
- Choose between fixed-term and month-to-month, and know what happens when a fixed term ends
- Tell enforceable custom terms apart from void ones before they cost you at the RTB
- Set pet, smoking, occupant, and subletting terms that actually hold up
- Run a clean signing process: copies, timing, and the documents that must accompany the lease
The agreement is your rulebook — but the RTA outranks it
In BC, every residential tenancy is governed by the Residential Tenancy Act, whether your agreement says so or not. Section 5 of the RTA makes this explicit: landlords and tenants cannot contract out of the Act, and any attempt to avoid or waive its provisions is of no effect. That single principle explains most tenancy agreement mistakes.
A tenancy agreement doesn't have to be written to exist — a verbal agreement and a handshake create a legal tenancy with full RTA protections. But an unwritten agreement means every disputed term becomes your word against theirs. Since 2004, landlords have been required to prepare a written agreement for every new tenancy, and the smart way to do it is with the RTB-1: the province's standard form, drafted to include every mandatory term, updated when the law changes, and available free from the RTB website.
Key point
Use the current RTB-1 Residential Tenancy Agreement form for every new tenancy. Custom leases downloaded from US websites, old photocopies from the 1990s, or agreements written from scratch routinely contain terms that are void in BC — and missing terms that are mandatory. The RTB-1 costs nothing and is already compliant. (Source: RTA s. 12–13; RTB forms page.)
What every agreement must contain
Under RTA s. 13, a written tenancy agreement must include the standard terms prescribed by regulation, plus these essentials:
- Names and addresses — the legal names of landlord and tenant(s), the address of the rental unit, and an address for service of the landlord.
- Dates — the date the agreement is entered into and the date the tenancy starts.
- Rent — the amount, the day it's due, and what's included (utilities, parking, storage, laundry, cable/internet).
- Deposits — the amount of the security deposit and any pet damage deposit, and the dates paid.
- Term type — month-to-month, or fixed term with the end date and what happens at the end.
- Signatures — both parties. You must give the tenant a copy within 21 days of signing (RTA s. 13(3)); if you don't, the tenant may withhold rent until you do (s. 16 consequences flow from non-compliance).
List every adult occupant who will live in the unit as a tenant on the agreement wherever possible. A person who signs is a tenant with obligations you can enforce; an unlisted adult is an "occupant" with a much murkier status if things go wrong.
Fixed-term vs month-to-month
Month-to-month (periodic)
No end date; the tenancy continues until properly ended under the RTA. The tenant can leave with one full month's written notice. You, however, can only end the tenancy for the specific causes the RTA allows (non-payment, cause, landlord's use of property, etc.) — "I'd like my unit back" is not one of them.
Fixed-term ("lease")
A set period, most commonly one year. The tenant is committed for the term — if they leave early without a legal basis, they may owe rent while you re-rent (with your duty to minimize losses). Here's the part many landlords miss: at the end of a fixed term, the tenancy does not end. Unless the tenant moves out by choice or you have separate legal grounds, it automatically continues as month-to-month on the same terms (RTA s. 44(3)).
Vacate clauses are (almost always) void
Since December 2017, a fixed-term agreement generally cannot require the tenant to move out on the end date. "Vacate clauses" are only enforceable in narrow prescribed circumstances — principally where the agreement is a sublease, or where the landlord or a close family member will occupy the unit and the prescribed conditions are met. A vacate clause used as a workaround to re-rent at a higher price is void, and acting on it can put you in bad-faith-eviction territory — the same territory as the $30,100 judgment in Module 6. (Source: RTA s. 44; RTR s. 13.1.)
Custom terms: enforceable vs void
The RTB-1 has a section for additional terms, and an addendum can be attached. Custom terms are enforceable only if they comply with the RTA and are not "unconscionable" — oppressive or grossly unfair to one party (RTR s. 3). Here's how common terms sort out:
Generally enforceable when drafted properly
- No smoking / no vaping / no cannabis smoking anywhere on the property — a property-condition rule, valid if in the agreement from the start.
- Pet terms — you may prohibit pets, limit type/size/number, or allow pets with a pet damage deposit (max half a month's rent). Guide and service dogs are not pets and override a no-pet clause.
- Occupant limits tied to health, safety, or bylaw standards, and a requirement that long-term additional occupants be disclosed.
- No short-term subletting / no Airbnb — assignment and subletting require your written consent (which you can't unreasonably withhold for fixed terms of 6+ months, but listing the unit nightly is not a sublet you're obliged to accept).
- Tenant insurance requirement — requiring the tenant to hold contents and liability insurance is a common, generally accepted term (Module 9 covers this).
- Yard care, snow removal, utility payment splits — fine if clearly written and reasonable for the property type.
Void no matter what the tenant signed
- ❌ "No rent increase limits apply" or increases above the annual cap — void (RTA s. 5, s. 43).
- ❌ Deposits above the legal caps, "move-out fees," "cleaning fees" collected up front, or non-refundable anything — void (RTA s. 15, 19, 20).
- ❌ Post-dated cheques as a condition of tenancy, or automatic deductions from the deposit — void.
- ❌ "Landlord may enter at any time" — void; RTA s. 29 entry rules cannot be waived.
- ❌ "Tenant waives the right to dispute resolution" — void; you cannot contract out of the RTA (s. 5).
- ❌ Liquidated-damages clauses that are penalties rather than genuine pre-estimates of cost — routinely struck down; a modest, genuine re-rental cost estimate for breaking a fixed term may survive, but a punitive figure will not.
- ❌ "No guests" or blanket guest-fee clauses — tenants are entitled to reasonable guests; unreasonable restrictions are unenforceable.
Why void terms hurt you twice
A void term isn't just unenforceable — it's evidence. When a dispute lands at the RTB, an agreement stuffed with illegal terms tells the arbitrator how you operate. Landlords have lost otherwise winnable deposit and damage claims because their own lease undermined their credibility. Keep the agreement clean; put your operating preferences in a compliant addendum instead.
Tools available
The Tools tab above has a compliant Custom Terms Addendum template (copy, edit, attach to your RTB-1) and a Lease Signing Checklist. Free for registered members.
The signing process done right
- Prepare the package: current RTB-1, your addendum, and the condition inspection report form (RTB-27) ready for move-in day. Fill in every blank — an empty "rent includes" line becomes an argument later.
- Walk through the agreement together — in person or by video. Explain the rent, deposits, included services, and each addendum term. Five minutes of explanation prevents months of "I didn't know."
- Sign and date — all tenants and the landlord. Electronic signing is acceptable if both parties agree; keep the audit trail.
- Collect the deposit properly — security deposit max half a month's rent, pet deposit max half a month's rent, receipt issued (Module 8 covers the rules and the 30-day timeline in full).
- Deliver the tenant's copy within 21 days. Email PDF plus a paper copy is best practice. Log the date you delivered it.
- File your set: signed agreement, addendum, deposit receipts, and (after move-in day) the signed inspection report — together, these are your tenancy file.
Key takeaways
- Use the current RTB-1 for every tenancy — it's free, compliant, and updated. Put customizations in an addendum.
- You cannot contract out of the RTA (s. 5). Void terms don't bind the tenant — and they damage your credibility.
- Fixed terms roll into month-to-month at expiry; vacate clauses only survive in narrow prescribed cases.
- Pets, smoking, subletting, insurance, occupants — all controllable through properly drafted terms set at the start.
- Deliver the tenant's copy within 21 days and keep a complete signed file.
学习目标
学完本单元后，您将能够：
- 正确使用RTB-1官方标准租约——并知道它必须包含什么
- 在固定租期和按月租约之间做对选择，并清楚固定租期到期后会发生什么
- 在被RTB打脸之前，分清哪些自定义条款有效、哪些无效
- 把宠物、吸烟、同住人、转租条款写到真正站得住的程度
- 走一遍干净的签约流程：副本、时限，以及必须随租约一起交付的文件
合同是您的规则手册——但《住宅租赁法》永远压在合同之上
在BC省，每一份住宅租约都受《住宅租赁法》（RTA）约束——不管合同里写没写。RTA第5条说得很直白：房东和租客不能"约定绕开"该法，任何规避或放弃法定条款的约定一律无效。这一条原则解释了绝大多数租约错误。
租约不一定要写下来才存在——口头约定加一个握手就能成立受RTA完整保护的合法租约。但没有书面合同，每一条有争议的条款都变成"各执一词"。2004年起，法律要求房东为每份新租约准备书面合同，而最聪明的做法就是用RTB-1：省政府的标准表格，涵盖所有强制条款，法律一变就更新，RTB官网免费下载。特别提醒华人房东：网上流传的中文租房合同、从国内搬来的合同模板，在BC省几乎必然包含无效条款、缺少强制条款——正式合同必须以RTB-1英文版为准。
要点
每份新租约都用最新版RTB-1标准合同。美国网站下载的模板、九十年代的复印件、自己从头写的合同，常常塞满在BC无效的条款、又漏掉强制条款。RTB-1一分钱不花，天生合规。（依据：RTA第12–13条；RTB表格页。）
每份合同必须包含什么
根据RTA第13条，书面租约必须包含法规规定的标准条款，外加以下要素：
- 姓名和地址——房东和租客的法定姓名、出租单元地址、房东的送达地址。
- 日期——签约日期和租约起始日期。
- 租金——金额、每月到期日、包含什么（水电、车位、储物、洗衣、网络电视）。
- 押金——保证金和宠物押金的金额及支付日期。
- 租期类型——按月，或固定租期（写明结束日期和到期后的安排）。
- 签名——双方签署。签约后21天内必须把副本交给租客（RTA第13(3)条）；不交，租客有权暂扣租金直到您交付为止。
尽可能把所有将入住的成年人都作为租客列入合同签字。签了字的是"租客"，义务清清楚楚可以执行；没列进合同的成年人只是"同住人"，出了问题身份就模糊得多。
固定租期 vs 按月租约
按月租约（周期性）
没有结束日期，租约按RTA规定合法终止前一直持续。租客提前一个完整月书面通知就能走；您这边却只能基于RTA允许的特定事由终止（欠租、有因、房东自用等）——"我想收回房子"不在其中。
固定租期（"lease"）
固定一段时间，最常见是一年。租客在租期内被绑定——无法律依据提前退租，可能要在您重新出租期间继续承担租金（您有义务尽量减少损失）。很多房东不知道的是：固定租期到期，租约并不结束。除非租客自己选择搬走，或您另有法定理由，租约自动转为同等条款的按月租约（RTA第44(3)条）。"一年到期就得走人"是华人房东圈流传最广的误解之一。
"到期腾房条款"几乎全是无效的
2017年12月起，固定租期合同原则上不得要求租客在到期日搬走。"腾房条款"（vacate clause）只在极窄的法定情形下有效——主要是转租协议，或房东/直系亲属将入住且满足法定条件。用腾房条款绕路涨价重新出租是无效的，照此执行还可能落入"恶意驱逐"——就是第6单元里那个$30,100判决的领域。（依据：RTA第44条；租赁条例第13.1条。）
自定义条款：有效的和无效的
RTB-1有附加条款栏，也可以附一份附录（addendum）。自定义条款只有在符合RTA、且不"显失公平"（对一方压迫性或严重不公，租赁条例第3条）时才有效。常见条款分拣如下：
写得规范就基本有效
- 禁烟/禁电子烟/禁大麻吸食——覆盖整个物业的房屋状态规则，从一开始写进合同即有效。
- 宠物条款——可以禁养、限种类/体型/数量，或允许养宠并收宠物押金（上限半个月租金）。导盲犬和服务犬不算宠物，禁宠条款对它们无效。
- 入住人数上限——挂钩健康、安全或附例标准，并要求长期新增同住人须申报。
- 禁止短租/禁止Airbnb——转让和转租需您书面同意（6个月以上固定租期不得无理拒绝，但按晚出租不是您有义务接受的"转租"）。
- 要求租客购买租客保险——要求持有财物和第三方责任保险是常见且普遍接受的条款（第9单元详讲）。
- 庭院打理、铲雪、水电分摊——写清楚、对房型合理即可。
无论租客签没签，一律无效
- ❌ "不受涨租上限约束"或超上限涨租——无效（RTA第5、43条）。
- ❌ 超过法定上限的押金、"退房费"、预收"清洁费"、任何"不退还"款项——无效（RTA第15、19、20条）。华人圈常见的"押一付三"在BC省就是违法收费。
- ❌ 把预开支票作为租约条件、或约定自动从押金扣款——无效。
- ❌ "房东可随时进入"——无效；RTA第29条的进入规则不可放弃。
- ❌ "租客放弃争议解决权利"——无效；不能约定绕开RTA（第5条）。
- ❌ 惩罚性的"违约金"条款——属罚金而非真实成本预估的，常规被推翻；提前退租时收取适度、真实的重新出租成本预估或可成立，狮子大开口必死。
- ❌ "不许来客人"或一揽子访客收费条款——租客有权接待合理访客，不合理限制无法执行。
无效条款让您输两次
无效条款不只是执行不了——它本身就是证据。纠纷到了RTB，一份塞满违法条款的合同会告诉仲裁员您平时怎么做事。有房东本来能赢的押金、损坏索赔，就因为自己的合同拆了自己的台。合同保持干净；经营偏好写进合规的附录里。
实用工具
上方"实用工具"标签有合规的自定义条款附录模板（复制、编辑、附在RTB-1后）和签约检查清单。注册会员免费使用。
签约流程这样走才干净
- 备好整套文件：最新版RTB-1、您的附录、以及入住日要用的验房报告表（RTB-27）。每个空都填上——"租金包含"那一栏空着，日后就是一场争吵。
- 和租客把合同过一遍——当面或视频。讲清租金、押金、包含的服务和附录的每一条。五分钟的讲解，省掉几个月的"我不知道"。可以用中文解释帮助理解，但签的必须是英文正式文本，并让租客明白以英文文本为准。
- 签名并注明日期——所有租客和房东。双方同意可用电子签名；保留完整签署记录。
- 合规收取押金——保证金上限半个月租金，宠物押金上限半个月租金，开收据（第8单元详讲规则和30天时限）。
- 21天内交付租客副本。最佳做法：PDF邮件加纸质副本各一份，记下交付日期。
- 归档整套文件：已签合同、附录、押金收据、（入住日之后的）已签验房报告——这些合在一起就是您的租约档案。
要点回顾
- 每份租约都用最新版RTB-1——免费、合规、随法律更新。个性化内容写进附录。
- 不能约定绕开RTA（第5条）。无效条款绑不住租客——还砸您自己的信誉。
- 固定租期到期自动转按月；腾房条款只在极窄的法定情形下有效。
- 宠物、吸烟、转租、保险、同住人——都可以通过开头就写好的规范条款管住。
- 21天内交付租客副本，并保存完整的签署档案。
Apply what you learned学以致用
Work through this checklist before your next signing:下次签约前，逐项完成这份行动清单：
Frequently asked questions常见问题
Yes — a verbal agreement creates a real tenancy with full RTA protections for the tenant. It just leaves you without written proof of the terms. Landlords are required to prepare a written agreement; use the RTB-1 every time.
You can, as long as it contains all the standard terms required by regulation — but there's rarely a reason to. The RTB-1 is free, current, and complete. The safer pattern is RTB-1 plus your own compliant addendum for property-specific terms.
No. Unless a narrow prescribed exception applies (sublease, or landlord/close family moving in with conditions met), the tenancy automatically continues month-to-month on the same terms. The end date ends the fixed commitment — not the tenancy.
Almost never. You cannot contract out of the RTA (s. 5), so a vacate clause outside the prescribed circumstances is void even with the tenant's signature on it. Acting on a void vacate clause can expose you to a bad-faith claim worth 12 months' rent.
You can include a liquidated-damages clause, but only if it's a genuine pre-estimate of your re-rental costs (advertising, screening time) — not a penalty. Separately, the tenant may owe actual lost rent while you make reasonable efforts to re-rent. Punitive figures get struck down.
Yes — a no-smoking term covering tobacco, vaping, and cannabis smoking is enforceable when it's in the agreement from the start. Note that medical cannabis may raise a duty to accommodate in some circumstances; get advice if a specific situation arises.
Yes, private landlords in BC may prohibit pets or restrict size, kind, and number — the term must be in the agreement. If you allow pets, you may collect a pet damage deposit up to half a month's rent. Certified guide and service dogs are not pets and cannot be refused or charged a pet deposit.
Yes. Subletting and assignment require your written consent, and an addendum term prohibiting short-term accommodation of any kind is standard and enforceable. Many strata bylaws and municipal rules also prohibit it independently — reference them in your addendum.
The tenant may withhold rent until you provide the copy — and you look disorganized in any later dispute. Deliver a PDF and a paper copy promptly, and log the date.
Wherever possible, yes. Co-tenants who sign are jointly responsible for rent and obligations. An adult who lives there but never signed is an occupant — if the signing tenant leaves, the occupant has no agreement with you, which creates a messy limbo the RTB has to untangle.
The RTB's official forms are in English, and RTB proceedings run on the English documents. You can provide a translation to help the tenant understand — a good practice — but make clear the English RTB-1 is the signed, governing document.
Only by mutual written agreement — you cannot impose new material terms unilaterally. If a tenant agrees to a change (say, adding a pet with a pet deposit), document it as a signed amendment to the agreement.
有效——口头约定就能成立真实租约，租客享有RTA全部保护。只是您手里没有条款的书面证据。法律要求房东准备书面合同；每次都用RTB-1。
可以，前提是包含法规要求的全部标准条款——但几乎没有理由这么做。RTB-1免费、最新、完整。更稳妥的模式是：RTB-1＋您自己的合规附录写房源特有条款。网上的中文合同模板在BC省不能作为正式合同。
不必。除非符合极窄的法定例外（转租，或房东/直系亲属入住且条件满足），租约自动转为同等条款的按月租约。到期日结束的是"固定承诺"，不是租约本身。
基本不算。不能约定绕开RTA（第5条），法定情形之外的腾房条款即使有租客签名也无效。照无效条款执行，可能招来相当于12个月租金的恶意驱逐索赔。
可以写"约定损害赔偿"条款，但必须是重新出租成本（广告、筛查时间）的真实预估——不能是罚金。另外，在您合理努力重新出租期间，租客可能要承担实际租金损失。惩罚性数字会被推翻。
可以——覆盖烟草、电子烟和大麻吸食的禁烟条款，从一开始写进合同即可执行。注意医用大麻在某些情形下可能产生接纳义务；遇到具体情况请咨询专业人士。
可以，BC的私人房东可以禁养宠物或限制种类、体型、数量——条款须写进合同。允许养宠的，可收上限为半个月租金的宠物押金。有认证的导盲犬和服务犬不算宠物，不能拒绝也不能收宠物押金。
能。转租和转让需要您的书面同意，附录里禁止任何形式短租的条款是标准且可执行的。很多物业附例和市政规定本身也禁止短租——附录里一并引用。
租客有权暂扣租金，直到您交付副本——而且在日后任何纠纷里您都显得毫无章法。PDF加纸质副本尽快交付，并记下日期。
尽量都签。签字的共同租客对租金和义务承担连带责任。住在里面却没签字的成年人只是"同住人"——签字租客一走，同住人和您之间没有任何合同，留下的烂摊子要RTB来收拾。
RTB官方表格是英文的，RTB程序也以英文文件为准。您可以提供中文翻译帮助租客理解——这是好做法——但要明确：签署并具约束力的是英文RTB-1文本。只签中文合同，纠纷时会非常被动。
只能双方书面同意——不能单方面强加新的实质条款。租客同意变更的（例如加养宠物并收宠物押金），做成双方签字的合同修订件存档。
LandlordPass provides educational content about property management in British Columbia. This course does not constitute legal advice, and the addendum template is an educational starting point — have your final agreement package reviewed by a qualified professional. For official forms and current rules, see the Residential Tenancy Branch.
LandlordPass 提供关于卑诗省（BC省）物业出租管理的教育性内容。本课程不构成法律意见，附录模板仅为教育性起点——最终合同文件请交由合格专业人士审核。中文内容为便于理解的本地化改写，仅供参考；如与英文原文或法律条文有出入，以官方英文法规为准。官方表格和最新规则见住宅租赁办公室（RTB）。
📎 Custom Terms Addendum Template自定义条款附录模板
Attach to the RTB-1. Delete any clause you don't need; every clause below is drafted to comply with the RTA. Both parties initial each page and sign at the end.附在RTB-1之后使用。不需要的条款直接删除；以下每条都按符合RTA的标准起草。双方在每页小签、末尾签名。正式文本为英文；中文注释帮您理解各条内容。
Do not add: extra fees or non-refundable charges, above-cap deposits, entry-at-any-time rights, vacate clauses, guest bans, or dispute waivers — all void under the RTA.不要自行加：额外收费或不退款项、超上限押金、"随时进入"权、到期腾房条款、禁止访客、放弃争议权——RTA之下全部无效。中文速查：1=禁烟；2=宠物；3=同住人申报；4=禁转租/禁Airbnb；5=租客保险；6=水电划分；7=庭院铲雪；8=烟雾报警器；9=改动装修；10=安静享用与行为规范。
✅ Lease Signing Checklist签约检查清单
Run this list at every signing.每次签约都过一遍这份清单。
The signed agreement + addendum + deposit receipts + inspection report together form your tenancy file — your evidence base for the entire tenancy.已签合同＋附录＋押金收据＋验房报告合在一起就是您的租约档案——整个租期的证据基础。