Additional Occupancy in a rental: Can the rent increase?
Adding a child under 19 cannot trigger rent above the annual allowable increase, even when the tenancy agreement includes an additional occupant clause.
Article Details
- Author: Lukas Matheson
- Published: November 6, 2025
- Category: Tips
Article Summary
- Can the rent increase when someone joins a tenant’s household? The answer depends on the written tenancy agreement and whether the occupant is a minor. The Residential Tenancy Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act protect growing families: adding a child under 19 cannot trigger rent increases above the annual allowable rent increase, even if the agreement says rent increases with new occupants. That protection matters because an additional occupant clause can otherwise change the rent. The clause sets out how rent varies with the number of people living in the rental unit. But a written clause does not override the protection for minor occupants. When an additional occupant clause changes the rent If rent is to vary with the number of occupants, the parties must put the amount of that change in their written tenancy agreement. When an additional occupant resides in the unit, rent increases by the specified amount. When an occupant stops residing there, rent decreases by that same amount. Without that term in the tenancy agreement, a landlord cannot increase rent because a new occupant begins living with the tenant. The agreement is therefore central to whether an additiona