First confirm the expense-based ground
BC distinguishes Additional Rent Increase for Expenses from Additional Rent Increase for Capital Expenditures. The expense pathway can address a financial loss arising from unforeseeable financing costs of purchasing residential rental property or eligible significant repairs to a manufactured-home park, under the applicable statutory grounds. The form also requests details about extraordinary operating costs and particular landlord-as-tenant situations. Routine inflation, a mortgage renewal, property tax increases or a landlord's wish for higher profit do not automatically establish eligibility. The applicant must prove the specified legal ground.
Complete the 11 sections of RTB-52
- Sections 1–2 — Parties and dispute: Identify each landlord applicant or authorized agent, the property or manufactured-home park, contact addresses and any earlier dispute number.
- Section 3 — Reason for application: Select the actual statutory basis rather than combining unrelated reasons.
- Section 4 — Significant manufactured-home-park repairs: Identify the work, necessity, costs and the facilities or services involved when that ground applies.
- Section 5 — Financial statements: Provide the financial history and loss calculations required by the form; connect the claimed costs to the rent and property.
- Section 6 — Extraordinary operating costs: Provide the operating-cost figures and explanations required for that ground.
- Section 7 — Unforeseeable financing costs: Explain how the property purchase financing costs arose, why they were not reasonably foreseeable, and their effect on the property finances.
- Section 8 — Landlord who is a tenant: Complete the specific additional-increase information when relevant.
- Section 9 — Rent and affected units: State existing and proposed rent information for the affected tenancies.
- Section 10 — Declaration: The landlord or authorized agent signs and dates the accuracy statement.
- Section 11 — Affected tenants: Identify each tenant or rental unit included in the application and provide the service information required.
Prepare the required financial evidence
The Province requires rent amounts for the preceding three years, proof of changes in operating expenses, relevant RTB decisions involving the property or tenants within the past 12 months, and information about changes to services or facilities during that period. Supply relevant invoices, bank or financing documentation, operating statements, repair records and an understandable calculation of the proposed increase. Provide consistent information for each affected rental unit.
File in person, pay the correct fee and serve tenants
RTB-52 is a paper-only filing: submit it at the Burnaby Residential Tenancy Branch office or a participating Service BC office. The fee is $300 plus $10 per affected unit, up to $600 total. After the RTB processes the application and provides its instructions, the applicant must serve each named tenant the proceeding package and supporting evidence within the required timeframe; the official form describes a three-day service requirement. Keep proof of proper service. The RTB decides whether the financial evidence justifies any increase.
Approval is not notice of a rent increase
If the RTB approves an expense-based additional increase, the landlord still needs a lawful rent increase notice stating the approved dollar amount and giving at least three full rental months' notice before it takes effect. Do not collect an increase just because the application has been accepted. For an eligible capital expenditure such as a qualifying roof replacement, the Province requires the separate online application; the approved increase is later implemented using phase forms such as RTB-53-P1 with its accompanying details sheet.
Common mistakes
Using RTB-52 for the online capital-expenditure process, omitting financial records from the prior three years, ignoring the per-unit application fee, failing to serve all affected tenants, or treating RTB approval as permission to collect new rent without the prescribed notice.