Voters in B.C. go to the polls on Saturday, October 24, 2026, after Premier David Eby called a snap election on September 22, 2026. This BC election renters guide sets out where each party stands on rent increases, housing supply, short-term rentals, and tenant protections, using each party’s own published material or reporting that quotes it. It does not endorse, rank, or recommend any party.
When is the BC election, and what else is on the ballot?
B.C.’s provincial general election is on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and the writ was issued on September 22, 2026, according to Elections B.C., and Global News reported the same dates. Elections B.C. lists advance voting for October 16 to 21, 2026. Vancouver votes separately in a municipal election on Saturday, October 17, 2026, where ballots include a mayor, 10 city councillors, seven park board commissioners, and nine school board trustees, per the City of Vancouver. Eligibility, registration, and polling locations for the provincial vote are on the Elections B.C. website.
What is the BC rent increase cap right now?
The B.C. government says the maximum rent increase is 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027, according to its rent increases page, last updated August 27, 2026. Landlords must give tenants three full months’ notice on the Residential Tenancy Branch’s RTB-7 form, and the notice must state the exact dollar amount and effective date.
The province linked the 2027 limit to inflation in August 2026, and described it as the seventh consecutive year at or below inflation in a September 9, 2026 government release. For renters, the cap limits how much a rent can rise within a tenancy. For landlords, it sets the ceiling and the notice process for any increase.
Where does each party stand on rent control and tenant protections?
As of October 5, 2026, the BC NDP points to the government’s inflation-linked cap, the BC Greens have published a renter-specific plan, OneBC lists one rent-related priority, the BC Conservatives’ platform page says “coming soon,” and CentreBC has published no rent position. The table below summarizes what each party’s own pages say, and nothing more.
| Party | Rent cap or rent control | Tenant protections | Platform status, October 5, 2026 |
| BC NDP | Government linked the 2027 limit (2.2%) to inflation in August 2026 | Says more than 560,000 renters get up to $400 from the renter’s tax credit | Policy pillars page and a September 25 housing tax announcement |
| BC Conservatives | No policy found; a June 10, 2026 caucus statement criticizes the NDP’s rent record | No position found | Platform page says “coming soon” |
| BC Greens | Vacancy control; annual rent review when market rents fall | End blanket pet bans; Residential Tenancy Branch to hold deposits | Renter plan released September 29; “full platform coming soon” |
| CentreBC | No position found | No position found | Policy page and one housing line from February 16, 2026 |
| OneBC | Would block municipal rent control programs | No position found | Priorities page |
BC NDP
The NDP, which forms the government, points to the 2027 limit of 2.2%, which the B.C. government linked to inflation in August 2026, as noted in its September 9, 2026 release. On its Action for You page, the party says more than 560,000 renters get up to $400 from the renter’s tax credit. In response to the Greens’ plan, the NDP said it has capped rent increases at inflation for seven years, as reported by Daily Hive.
BC Conservatives
The BC Conservatives’ platform page, last updated September 23, 2026, lists a housing plan called “Get BC Building” with the tagline “A plan to end the housing shortage and make life more affordable,” but publishes no details. No Conservative platform position on rent increases or tenant protections was found on October 5, 2026. In a June 10, 2026 caucus statement, housing critic Linda Hepner argued that rents have risen in B.C. since 2017, without proposing a rent policy.
BC Greens
On September 29, 2026, Green leader Emily Lowan announced a renter support plan. It proposes vacancy control, which ties rent increases to the unit rather than the tenant, plus annual rent reviews when market rents fall, an end to blanket pet bans, deposits held by the Residential Tenancy Branch, and expanded rental assistance (RAP and SAFER).
CentreBC and OneBC
CentreBC’s only housing statement found is a line in its February 16, 2026 budget response: “We must link housing policy to actual affordability outcomes rather than just counting units.” OneBC’s priorities page says it would “block municipal rent control programs,” which it argues disincentivize development, and eliminate the Step Code.
What do the parties say about housing supply?
The parties offer different routes to more homes: the NDP points to rental construction and taxes on empty units, the Greens would restart the Community Housing Fund, the Conservatives pledge to cut the cost of building, and OneBC would eliminate the Step Code. Each is a statement of intent, not a forecast of results.
The B.C. government said in a 2026 release that purpose-built rental registrations passed 26,000 in 2025, compared with an average of about 2,500 a year from 2007 to 2016. On September 25, 2026, Eby announced an Unsold Condo Tax of 2% on finished units vacant for more than a year, rising 1% annually, and higher speculation and vacancy tax rates of 2% for domestic owners and 5% for foreign owners, as reported by The Canadian Press via Energetic City.
Interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson responded in a September 25, 2026 statement that “NDP taxes and red tape are the reason homes are too expensive.” The party pledges to “bring down the cost of building and buying a home.” The Greens’ plan commits to 26,000 homes a year by restarting the Community Housing Fund alongside an Indigenous Housing Fund.
The fund is a point of dispute. The Greens’ September 18, 2026 statement says the NDP “cancelled the $1.4B Community Housing Fund.” Victoria News reported that the province said Budget 2026, released February 17, 2026, suspended the fund to new applications rather than cancelling it.
Are rents falling, and which number should you trust?
Claims about falling rents in this campaign rest on asking rents, which describe new listings, not the rent a sitting tenant pays. The province’s June 2, 2026 release uses asking-rent figures, while the cap above governs increases within an existing tenancy.
CMHC’s 2026 Mid-Year Rental Market Update, published June 9, 2026, puts Vancouver’s 2025 apartment vacancy rate at 3.7%, just above its balanced range of 2.0% to 3.0%, and attributes softer asking rents to new supply. When a party or candidate quotes a rent drop, check which city, which rent measure, and which dates it covers.
What do the parties say about short-term rentals?
Only the NDP has a short-term rental record in government to point to. As of October 5, 2026, the only other party statement found on the topic is an April 17, 2026 statement from Conservative MLA Gavin Dew, who welcomed Kelowna’s exemption from the provincial rules and called the provincial approach “top-down, one-size-fits-all.” B.C.’s principal residence requirement, updated September 21, 2026, limits short-term rentals to a host’s usual home plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit in communities of more than 10,000 people and some nearby areas.
The province said in its June 2, 2026 release that active listings fell from 28,000 to just more than 23,000 after the fall 2023 action. The NDP’s Action for You page says average vacancy rates in communities with populations of 10,000 or more rose from 1.2% to 3.5% in 2025. The Greens, CentreBC, and OneBC have published no 2026 short-term rental position, and the Conservatives and Greens say fuller platforms are still to come, so positions may be added before voting day.
What changes for renters if there is a new government?
The election itself changes no current tenancy: the 2026 limit of 2.3% and the 2027 limit of 2.2% are the figures the B.C. government lists as of October 5, 2026. Any change would come from the government formed after October 24, 2026, and only some parties have said what they would change.
The Greens would move toward vacancy control, which they introduced as a bill in 2025 that did not pass, according to Daily Hive. OneBC would block municipal rent control programs. The NDP points to its current inflation-linked cap. The Conservatives have not published a rent policy. For landlords, vacancy control would change how increases apply between tenants, and the Greens’ policy brief says it reduces the incentive to evict tenants without fault.
How does the October 17 Vancouver election fit in?
The Vancouver vote is a separate ballot for city offices, held one week before the provincial vote. According to Daily Hive’s candidate list, eight people are running for mayor, listed in ballot order as Colleen Hardwick, Pete Fry, Rebecca Bligh, Muhammad Ahmad, Ken Sim, Amauri Caliman, Kareem Allam, and Scott Gilbert. This guide does not summarize municipal platforms, so check each candidate’s own pages for their housing plans.
This guide is general information, not legal or political advice, and it covers B.C. only. liv.rent does not endorse any party. For more on tenancy rules, see the Rental Laws hub and the Rental Resources hub, and for market data see liv.rent’s Rent Reports.
When is the BC provincial election in 2026?
B.C.’s provincial general election is on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Premier David Eby called it on September 22, 2026. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21, 2026, per Elections B.C., which also publishes eligibility, registration, and polling-place details. Vancouver holds a separate municipal election on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
What is the maximum rent increase in BC for 2027?
The B.C. government says the maximum rent increase is 2.2% for 2027, down from 2.3% for 2026, according to its rent increases page, last updated August 27, 2026. Landlords must give three full months’ notice on the Residential Tenancy Branch’s RTB-7 form before any increase takes effect.
Which BC parties have published a renter plan?
As of October 5, 2026, the BC Greens have published a renter support plan (September 29, 2026) with vacancy control and annual rent reviews when market rents fall. OneBC says it would block municipal rent control programs. The BC NDP points to the government’s inflation-linked cap, and the BC Conservatives’ platform page says “coming soon.”
Will the election change my rent increase?
The election does not change an existing tenancy. As of October 5, 2026, the B.C. government lists limits of 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027. Any later change would come from the government formed after October 24, 2026, so check gov.bc.ca for updates before serving or accepting a notice.
Where do the parties stand on short-term rentals?
As of October 5, 2026, only the BC NDP has a short-term rental record in government, the province’s principal residence requirement. Among other parties, a Conservative MLA’s April 17, 2026 statement called the provincial approach “top-down, one-size-fits-all.” The Conservatives and Greens say fuller platforms are coming, so positions may change before October 24, 2026.
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