BC Greens introduce Private Members’ Bill to reinstate vacancy control
October 28, 2025
VICTORIA, B.C. – Today, the BC Greens introduced a Private Members’ Bill to bring back vacancy control and stabilize rent prices for tenants across the province.
“Right now, there are no limits on how much landlords can raise rent between tenancies — rent increases are only regulated within existing tenancies. If we want affordable housing fast, we need to look at the housing we already have. This bill will change that equation,” said Rob Botterell, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands. “Vacancy control is not a new concept in British Columbia. In the 40 years since it was removed between tenancies, the province has devolved into one of the least affordable rental markets in Canada, earning the title of Canada’s eviction capital.”
“The NDP has supported comprehensive rent control before by implementing vacancy control in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and the Housing Minister backed it as a city councillor,” added Botterell. “We hope this bill earns support across the aisle so renters can have real stability.”
The Residential Tenancy Amendment Act will require vacant rental units to follow the same rules for rent increases as occupied units, stabilizing housing for renters. This bill will help mitigate evictions across the board, so landlords aren’t incentivized to evict their tenants in order to increase profit from rent.
“Renters—who make up one in three British Columbians— are a trampled afterthought in this government’s housing strategy. The BC NDP is catering to corporate developers, while starving investment in the affordable, social housing that renters need. This bill from my BC Green Caucus colleagues will help stabilize rents for British Columbian renters by blocking predatory landlords from hiking rents and evicting renters for profit. This will set the stage for bold action: a rent freeze,” said BC Greens Leader Emily Lowan.
The majority of evictions in BC are no-fault evictions and recent data from Metro Vancouver showed that evictions were the cause of homelessness for nearly half of respondents in the 2025 homeless count. Many seniors face evictions from long-term, affordable housing, due to shrinking affordable and subsidized housing options.
According to a 2023 report from the Maple, more than 20% of BC’s MLAs owned investment properties, and a 2022 Times Colonist report found that 93% of MLAs were homeowners.
“This imbalance reveals a serious lack of renter representation in the Legislature. We need to get more renters elected, who will truly fight for and protect renter rights.” Lowan added, “The proponents of vacancy control are renters, unions, and anti-poverty organizations; opponents are investors, landlords, and REITs. If our goal is housing affordability, it’s clear which group we should be taking our policy strategy from.”
Research shows no correlation between vacancy control and a decline in new rental construction. Factors like taxation, interest rates, and the relative profitability of other investments play a much greater role in determining new rental supply.
“While the BC NDP claims rents are decreasing, the BC Greens know that a few percentage-point drops does not erase years of skyrocketing costs in this province,” said Jeremy Valeriote MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “This legislation is not intended to target homeowners—it’s designed to protect renters and strengthen the overall rental market by preventing unnecessary rate hikes.”
Kabir Madan, Carnegie Housing Project:
“Seniors, anti-poverty advocates, community organizations and unions representing tens of thousands of BC residents want vacancy control to end eviction pressure and keep housing affordable. It would cost billions to build new affordable housing to replace the affordability that vacancy control could preserve. Vacancy control would reduce mental and physical health stress especially on seniors targeted for eviction because their rents are low due to living with rent protection in the same home for decades.”
Rowan Burdge, Provincial Director of BC Poverty Reduction Coalition:
“The Union of BC Municipalities has recently voted to call on the province to approach housing with a human rights lens, which includes strengthening the rights of tenants. Vacancy control is ultimately a political question rather than an economic one because it is fundamentally a question of values. It is a question of whose interests should be advanced and protected in housing markets — investors and developers who profit from turning over units to charge higher rents or tenants who fear displacement. We hope to see the government side with tenants.”
Douglas King, Executive Director for Together Against Poverty Society
“At TAPS, we see daily how many evictions are driven by landlords seeking vacancy to raise rents. Vacancy control is the only way to stop this. Landlords should have to provide clear, documented justification for rent increases, rather than automatically profiting from precarious housing conditions. We welcome the BC Greens’ private member’s bill as an important first step toward stabilizing B.C.’s rental market.”
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Media contact
Ryan Hook
Press Secretary
BC Green Caucus
+1 250-882-6187 | ryan.hook@leg.bc.ca