Owner services · Long-term residential
Long-term rental property management in Vancouver
We find the tenant and run the tenancy for owners of homes, condos and small buildings rented for a year or more. David has handled more than 50 rental properties across Metro Vancouver. Our fee for full management is 8% of collected rent, and tenant placement alone is half of the first month's rent. Most managers in this market charge 8–12% of collected rent, based on published rate cards.
For owners of houses, condos, townhomes and small residential buildings · BC tenancy facts checked against gov.bc.ca, September 2026
8%
Our fee, full management
Of collected rent. Tenant placement alone is half of the first month's rent. Market range is 8–12%
50+
Rental properties handled
Long-term, executive and furnished, in seven Metro Vancouver areas
2.3%
2026 rent increase limit
2.2% for 2027. Once every 12 months, three full months' notice
½ month
Maximum security deposit
Pet damage deposit is capped at the same amount
01
What does a long-term rental property manager do?
A long-term rental property manager prices the home, finds and screens the tenant, puts the tenancy on the right paperwork, then collects the rent and looks after the property until the tenant leaves. The work that protects an owner is mostly paperwork done on time.
David Siccia is licensed with BCFSA as a Rental Property Management representative at Heller Murch Realty, licence RE605349. Owners should always check a manager's licence at bcfsa.ca before handing over keys or rent. Here are the eight jobs, then how often each one happens.
Pricing
A rent range from our market table and the live listings competing with your unit that week.
Marketing and showings
Photos, floor plan, listing copy, inquiry handling and in-person showings.
Screening
Income, credit, references, employment and identity, checked the same way for every applicant.
Tenancy agreement
Written on the Province's RTB-1 form with an addendum for strata bylaws, pets, smoking and parking.
Inspections and deposits
Condition inspection reports at move-in and move-out, deposits taken and returned by the rules.
Rent collection
Rent collected on the first, arrears followed up in writing, owner paid with a monthly statement.
Maintenance
One contact for the tenant, trades dispatched, quotes approved by you above an agreed limit.
Renewals and move-out
Rent increases served on the approved form, renewals, notice handling and re-letting.
What happens at each stage of a tenancy?
| When | What we do | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Before listing | Walkthrough, strata bylaw and rental-rule check, rent range, make-ready list, photos | Written rent recommendation and a list of what to fix first |
| While vacant | Listing live on every channel, inquiries answered, showings, applications screened | A weekly note: inquiries, showings, applications, feedback on price |
| At move-in | RTB-1 tenancy agreement signed, deposits collected, move-in condition inspection report with photos, keys and fobs logged | Signed agreement, inspection report and deposit record |
| Monthly | Rent collected, arrears followed up, maintenance requests triaged and dispatched, strata notices handled | Owner statement and payment, with invoices attached |
| Periodically | Interior inspection with written notice to the tenant | Short inspection report with photos |
| Annually | Rent review, notice of rent increase on form RTB-7 with three full months' notice, insurance and strata document check | Year-end income and expense summary for your accountant |
| At move-out | Notice handled, move-out condition inspection, deposit accounting, turnover work, re-listing | Move-out report, deposit reconciliation and the new rent range |
Standard cadence for a long-term residential tenancy under the BC Residential Tenancy Act. Inspection frequency and approval limits are set in the management agreement for each property.
Marketing runs on five channels at once: MLS, our own website, social media, the online rental marketplaces, and direct inquiries from David's network of past tenants, owners and relocation contacts. The homes we are placing now are on the listings page.
02
How much does rental property management cost in Vancouver?
We charge 8% of collected rent for full management, and half of the first month's rent for tenant placement alone. See tenant placement in Vancouver for what the placement fee covers.
Published rate cards from Vancouver residential property managers (2025–26) put unfurnished management at roughly 8–12% of collected rent. Some managers add a placement fee of half to one month's rent per new tenancy. Tenant placement on its own is normally that same one-time fee. David quotes per property after seeing it.
| Service | Market range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full management, unfurnished | 8–12% of collected rent | Published Vancouver rate cards, 2025–26 |
| Tenant placement only | 0.5–1 month's rent | One-time, per new tenancy. Not every manager charges one on top of full management |
| Furnished or executive management | 10–15% of collected rent | Published Vancouver rate cards, 2025–26 |
| Usually extra | At cost | Repairs and trades, professional photos, strata move-in fees, Residential Tenancy Branch filing fees, major project oversight |
Market ranges only, not a quote. Ask any manager for the full fee schedule in writing, including mark-ups on trades, renewal fees and what happens to the fee while the unit is vacant.
A percentage only means something against a rent. The table below is the unfurnished asking-rent range we use in the rental income calculator, which also works out what you keep after costs.
| Area | 1-bed condo | 2-bed condo | 3-bed house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver: Downtown, Coal Harbour, Yaletown | $2,600–$3,100 | $3,600–$4,600 | n/a |
| Vancouver: West Side | $2,500–$2,950 | $3,500–$4,300 | $5,200–$6,800 |
| Vancouver: East Side and South Vancouver | $2,300–$2,700 | $3,000–$3,700 | $4,200–$5,300 |
| North Vancouver | $2,350–$2,750 | $3,100–$3,800 | $4,500–$5,800 |
| West Vancouver | $2,600–$3,200 | $3,600–$4,800 | $5,500–$7,500 |
| Burnaby | $2,250–$2,600 | $2,900–$3,500 | $4,000–$5,000 |
| Richmond | $2,150–$2,500 | $2,800–$3,400 | $3,900–$4,800 |
| New Westminster | $2,100–$2,400 | $2,700–$3,200 | $3,700–$4,500 |
David Siccia Properties market table, updated Sep 2026, based on CMHC Rental Market Survey 2025, liv.rent/Zumper listing reports and our own placements. Unfurnished monthly asking rents for a standard-condition unit, not achieved rents. South Vancouver is read from the East Side row. "n/a" means the type is rare in that area.
Key takeaway
8%
of collected rent, our fee for full long-term management
03
How are tenants screened?
Every adult applicant is checked on five things: income, credit, landlord references, employment and identity. The same checks are applied in the same order to every application, and the owner makes the final choice from a written summary.
What we verify
Income verification
Recent pay stubs, an employment letter or, for self-employed applicants, notices of assessment and bank statements. We look at rent against verified income, not a stated number.
Credit check
Run with the applicant's written consent. We read the payment history and collections, not only the score.
Landlord references
The current and the previous landlord, called directly. The previous one has no reason to be generous.
Employment
Employer, role and start date confirmed with the employer, not only from a letter the applicant supplies.
Identity
Government photo ID seen in person at the showing or signing, matched to the application.
BC Human Rights Code
What a landlord may not screen on
- Race, colour, ancestry, place of origin or Indigenous identity
- Religion
- Marital status or family status, which includes having children
- Physical or mental disability
- Sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression
- Age, with limited exceptions such as 55-plus buildings
- Lawful source of income, for example income assistance or a pension
Summary of the tenancy protections in the BC Human Rights Code as described by the BC Human Rights Tribunal. Exceptions are narrow. Ask a lawyer before relying on one.
In practice this means an owner can decline an applicant whose verified income does not support the rent, and cannot decline one because the income is a pension or because the household has children.
04
What BC rules does a landlord have to follow?
Almost every residential rental in BC falls under the Residential Tenancy Act, and its rules on deposits, inspections, rent increases and ending a tenancy apply whatever the agreement says. This is general information, not legal advice. These are the rules owners most often get wrong.
| Rule | What the Act requires |
|---|---|
| Tenancy agreement | Must be in writing, signed and dated by both sides. The Province's form RTB-1 contains the required standard terms. The tenant gets a copy within 21 days. |
| Security deposit | No more than half of the first month's rent. |
| Pet damage deposit | No more than half of the first month's rent, regardless of the number of pets. |
| Move-in condition inspection | Landlord offers the tenant two opportunities, walks the unit with them, completes the report (form RTB-27 or equivalent) and gives the tenant a copy within 7 days. Miss these steps and the landlord loses the right to claim against the deposits. |
| Move-out condition inspection | Same process at the end. Deposits are returned, or a claim is filed, within 15 days of the tenancy ending and the landlord receiving the forwarding address in writing. |
| Rent increases | Once every 12 months, with three full months' notice on form RTB-7, capped at the annual limit: 2.3% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027. |
| Fixed terms | A fixed term rolls to month-to-month at the end. A clause requiring the tenant to move out is only allowed in narrow cases, such as the landlord or a close family member moving in, or a sublet. |
| Landlord's use of the unit | Three months' notice generated through the Residential Tenancy Branch web portal (form RTB-32L). The tenant has 21 days to dispute and receives one month's rent as compensation. The landlord or close family member must then live there for at least 12 months. Not available in buildings with five or more rental units under one owner. |
Summarized from the Province of British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Branch pages on gov.bc.ca (tenancy agreements, deposits and fees, move-in condition inspection, rent increases, types of evictions), read in September 2026. Rules change; the landlord's-use rules changed in 2024 and again in 2025. Check the current page and confirm with a lawyer before you serve any notice.
Strata owners have a second layer. The strata corporation's bylaws bind your tenant, and the landlord must give the tenant the current bylaws and rules and deliver a signed Form K (Notice of Tenant's Responsibilities) to the strata corporation within two weeks of renting. We read the bylaws before listing and attach them to the agreement.
05
Tenant placement only, or full management?
Choose placement if you live nearby, know the Act and want to run the tenancy yourself; choose full management if you are away, busy, or would rather not be the person the tenant calls. Plenty of owners self-manage well.
One-time
Tenant placement only
- Rent range, photos, listing and showings
- Screening with a written summary; you choose the tenant
- RTB-1 agreement, deposits and the move-in condition inspection report
- You collect rent, handle repairs, serve rent increases and do the move-out
- Market range: half to one month's rent
Fits owners who live in Metro Vancouver, have one or two units and have a plumber they trust.
Ongoing
Full management
- Everything in placement
- Rent collection, arrears follow-up and monthly owner statements
- One contact for the tenant, trades dispatched, periodic inspections
- Rent increase notices on time and on the right form
- Dispute resolution filings and move-out handled
- Market range: 8–12% of collected rent
Fits owners who live abroad or out of town, hold several units, or have had a tenancy go wrong.
No manager
Self-managing is fine when
- You live close enough to be there within the hour
- You have read the Residential Tenancy Act guides and use the RTB forms
- You will do both condition inspection reports properly, every time
- You keep a diary for the rent increase date and serve three full months ahead
- You have the time and temperament for a 9 pm call about a leak
Where self-managed tenancies lose money: a skipped inspection report and a rent increase never served.
06
What happens in the first 30 days?
About 30 days takes a vacant or soon-to-be-vacant home from walkthrough to a screened tenant with a signed agreement, deposits paid and a move-in inspection report on file. The day counts are a plan, not a promise.
01Walkthrough and rent range
Days 1–3
We see the unit, read the strata bylaws and rental rules, check the insurance, and give you a written rent range with the listings it is based on.
02Make-ready, photos and listing
Days 3–7
Cleaning, paint touch-ups and small repairs, then photos and a floor plan. The listing goes live on every channel the same day.
03Showings and applications
Days 7–21
Inquiries are answered and qualified before a showing is booked. Showings are in person. You get a weekly note on inquiries, showings and price feedback.
04Screening and your decision
Days 14–24
Complete applications are verified: income, credit, references, employment, identity. We send you a summary and a recommendation. You choose the tenant.
05Agreement, deposits and move-in
Days 21–30
RTB-1 tenancy agreement and addendum signed, deposits collected, tenant insurance confirmed, move-in condition inspection completed with photos, keys handed over. Rent collection and monthly statements start.
07
Furnished or unfurnished on a long-term tenancy?
For most homes rented a year at a time, unfurnished is the better choice: a wider pool of tenants, longer stays and nothing to replace. Furnished makes sense for well-located condos and family houses that suit relocating executives, medical staff and families between homes, where tenancies run several months to a year.
We manage both. See furnished rental management for the premium, the furnishing budget and the extra vacancy, and executive rental management for larger houses.
What we no longer do is nightly or short-term letting. David's focus is long-term tenancies under the Residential Tenancy Act. If you are weighing an Airbnb-style rental, the Vancouver Airbnb advisory sets out the provincial and city rules, including the principal-residence requirement.
Quick read
- Unfurnished, 12 months or more
- Our default. Tenant pays utilities.
- Furnished, 6 to 12 months or more
- Case by case. Rent is all-in.
- Executive furnished house
- Yes, for the right home.
- Nightly or under 30 days
- Not offered.
08
Where do you work?
Seven areas: Vancouver, South Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond and New Westminster. These are the places where David has placed and managed tenancies, all within reach of the Birch Street office.
Vancouver
Downtown and Coal Harbour condos, West Side houses and duplexes, East Side townhomes and laneway homes. The office is at 110-2490 Birch Street in Fairview.
South Vancouver
Marpole, Oakridge, Sunset, Killarney and Fraserview: family houses with suites, and the newer Cambie corridor and River District condos.
West Vancouver
Ambleside and Dundarave condos, and family houses from the British Properties to Caulfeild, often for owners who live abroad part of the year.
North Vancouver
Lower Lonsdale and Central Lonsdale condos, Lynn Valley and Deep Cove houses, and townhomes along Marine Drive.
Burnaby
Tower condos at Metrotown, Brentwood and Lougheed on SkyTrain, plus houses in the Heights and Deer Lake.
Richmond
City Centre condos on the Canada Line, Steveston townhomes and family houses, many owned by families based overseas.
New Westminster
Downtown and Quay condos on SkyTrain, Sapperton near Royal Columbian Hospital, and heritage houses in Queen's Park.
Somewhere else in Metro Vancouver?
Ask. If it is too far for us to serve properly we will say so.
Send the address
09
Questions owners ask about rental property management in Vancouver
Related
Residential owner services
Own commercial space too?
Get a rent range and a plan for your home
Send the address, the date it is available and a few photos. You get a rent range, a make-ready list, and a straight answer on whether you need placement, full management or neither. Office: 110-2490 Birch Street, Vancouver.
David Siccia Properties handles leasing and management. Property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver.
General information, not legal or tax advice
This page summarizes the BC Residential Tenancy Act and the BC Human Rights Code as we understand them from the Province's published guidance in September 2026. Rent increase limits are set by the Province each year and eviction rules have changed more than once since 2024. Fee ranges are published market figures, not a quote. Confirm your situation with a lawyer and an accountant before you rely on anything here.