Last Content Update: April 22nd 2020 @ 5:00pm PST

The BC Government has created the BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program to provide temporary support to renters as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program gives $300 per month for eligible households with no dependents and $500 for eligible households with dependents. The payments are made directly to landlords of eligible households. 

We’ve compiled some of your most frequently asked questions, and answered them below.

Financial criteria:

Households need to meet each of the following criteria to qualify for the BC Temporary Rental Supplement:

  1. Have a 2019 gross household income of less than:
    • $74,150 for singles and couples without dependents
    • $113,040 for households with dependents
  2. As a result of COVID-19:
    • Be receiving or eligible for Employment Insurance; or
    • Be receiving or eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit offered by the federal government; or
    • Have experienced, and be able to provide evidence of, a drop of 25% or more in monthly household employment income
  3. Be paying more than 30% of current household income towards rent

Tenancy Criteria:

You must be renting your primary residence in BC and the unit must be covered under the Residential Tenancy Act, the Manufactured Home Act, or the Cooperative Association Act.

Roommates:

If your portion of the rent is more than 30% of your income, and you meet the remaining eligibility requirements, you can receive the rent supplement when living with roommates. Singles and couples in a roommate situation will be eligible for $300. Roommates with dependents are eligible for $500. Each roommate who is eligible must apply individually.

Note: Not all roommates are eligible for the supplement because not all roommate situations meet the eligibility requirement of being covered by the Residential Tenancy Act. For more information on whether your roommate arrangement is covered by the Residential Tenancy Act, please refer to the Residential Tenancy Branch’s policy on the Rights and Responsibilities of Co-tenants.

Co-op Members:

Members of housing co-ops can get the Temporary Rental Supplement if they meet all other eligible criteria, including:

  • Paying the full market housing charge; and
  • The co-op cannot be getting any ongoing operating funding from the government.

No, you are not eligible for the Temporary Rental Supplement if your rent is subsidized by any other government program. These programs include:

  • subsidized housing; rent supplements such as Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters (SAFER) or the Rental Assistance Program (RAP); Income Assistance; and Disability Assistance.

The BC Temporary Rental Supplement is available for the months of April, May and June 2020.

No, you only have to apply once. If you applied in April, you will get payments for all three months. If you apply in May, you will only get payments for May and June.

The first payments are expected before the end of April.

Online applications for the Temporary Rental Supplement are available through BC Housing.

You will be asked to provide the following information:

  • Proof of address, such as a driver’s license or utility bill, recent pay stub with address, or items of mail addressed to you at your rental address
  • Proof of monthly rent amount, such as a signed tenancy agreement, rent receipt, or notice of rent increase
  • Your landlord’s details and contact information, including email address
  • For every household member who is over the age of 19:
    • Identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, or BC identification card
    • Proof of 2019 income (2019 Notice of Assessment or T-Slips), or letter from Employer
    • Proof of 2020 income loss related to COVID-19, and proof of receipt of Employment Insurance, Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Record of Employment, letter from employer, etc.

Note: If you do not have these documents, other documents will be considered. Provide whatever documents you have that prove who you are, where you live and can support that you have lost income as a result of COVID-19. BC Housing will contact you if additional information is needed.

Renters need to start the application

You need to start the application process with the documents listed above. Your landlord cannot apply on your behalf. After your application has been reviewed and assessed as eligible, an email will be sent to your landlord asking them to complete the application process.

TIP: You should inform your landlord that you have applied for the BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program so that your landlord can watch for this email.

Landlords complete the application

Your landlord will be asked to confirm details around your tenancy, rental address and monthly rent amount. They will need to provide their mailing address and banking information to receive payment by direct deposit.

Once your landlord has completed their portion of the application, both you and your landlord will receive a final confirmation email.

For more information, visit BC Housing.

BC Housing Factsheets

If you want to speak to someone about the BC-TRS program call:

  • Lower mainland: 778-452-2836
  • Toll Free: 1-877-757-2577