First, serve the complete package
Serve the RTB's Notice of Dispute Resolution Proceeding, associated hearing materials, and copies of all supporting evidence filed with the application. The notice letter specifies the actual deadline. The RTB warns that missing the deadline to prove service can cause an application to be considered withdrawn. The applicant must serve each respondent using a method legally permitted for the claim and keep records of delivery.
Complete page 1 of RTB-55
- Enter the RTB file number and the respondent's full name.
- The actual person serving the package prints their name, signs the confirmation, and records the date the documents were served.
- Registered mail: Enter the Canada Post tracking number and delivery address; attach the registered-mail customer receipt and keep the tracking record.
- In person: Record the name and signature of a witness or the respondent who received the documents.
Complete page 2 for other service methods
- Door posting: The official RTB-55 allows this only for landlord applications requesting an order of possession with no other claims. It cannot be used under this option for an application that also asks for money or another remedy. Identify the witness and have them sign.
- Email service: Enter the address used and include a copy of the outgoing email showing its date and attachments, plus RTB-51 or other evidence the respondent had agreed to that email address for legal service.
- Substituted service: Identify the specific method the RTB authorized and attach the substituted-service decision and proof of compliance with its instructions.
Submit the proof to the RTB
Upload the completed RTB-55 and evidence of service to Dispute Access or submit them at an RTB office or a Service BC Centre that accepts RTB forms. The applicable service rules differ by document and relief sought; do not assume that a method available for a routine notice is necessarily valid for a proceeding package. For direct request proceedings, the Province has separate forms: RTB-44 for a landlord and RTB-50 for a tenant. For an expedited-hearing package, see RTB-9.
Common mistakes
Posting the package on a door when the landlord's application also contains a monetary claim, submitting an unsigned RTB-55, forgetting a registered-mail receipt, treating informal email contact as service consent, or failing to include the evidence originally filed with the application.