How much can my rent go up?
In most cases, your landlord can only raise your rent by a percentage called the “guideline”.
The rent increase guideline
The guideline is set by the government. By the end of each August, the government announces the guideline for the next calendar year.
For the year 2020, the guideline amount was 2.2% and for 2019, it was 1.8%.
Rent freeze in 2021
The government has announced that the guideline for the year 2021 will be zero percent. This means that your landlord cannot raise your rent at all from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
Your landlord is allowed to give you a rent increase in 2021 but the increase cannot start before January 1, 2022.
This rent freeze will also apply to new units that are normally not covered by the guideline.
The freeze also applies to tenants paying rent geared to income and those paying “market” rent in community or .
Your landlord must also wait 12 months between increases. And your landlord must give you a written notice at least 90 days before your rent goes up.
And the guideline might not apply to some new units, or units in new buildings or new additions. There is more information about this in the first step.
Above-guideline increases
Your landlord can apply to the for approval to raise the rent by more than the guideline.
Exceptions
These rent rules don’t apply to some rental units. For example, if you live in housing or if you share a kitchen or bathroom with your landlord or their family, they might not apply.
