How to Apply

When times are tough and you can’t pay your rent or utilities, rent banks are here to help—offering financial support and connection to resources that can help keep you housed.

Get the help you need in 4 easy steps.

Applying for financial assistance is simple:

1. Confirm your eligibility

• 19+ or an emancipated minor
• A renter in British Columbia
• Experiencing a crisis that has impacted your ability to pay rent or utilities, such as gas, hydro and water
• Owing less than $3,500 in rent or utilities
• Able to provide proof of income sufficient to cover ongoing monthly living expenses and repay a loan
• Part of a low-to-moderate income household
• Free from undischarged bankruptcy

2. Fill out the application

Once you’ve confirmed you are eligible, submit your application online or contact your local rent bank directly for help. Plan for 15-20 minutes to tell us about your situation, finances, and other needs.

3. A case manager will contact you

A case manager will follow up to provide support and ask questions to better understand your situation. You’ll be asked to submit identification, bank statements, and proof of tenancy. To qualify for a loan, you’ll need to show you have enough income to pay ongoing living expenses and a monthly loan repayment.

4. If approved, funds are distributed

Breathe a bit easier, knowing the rent bank will support you with an interest-free loan to cover rent or essential utilities (gas, hydro, water) that you can repay over a period of up to 36 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can we help you find?

• General Questions
• Applying for Assistance
• Financial Assistance and Repayment

What is BC Rent Bank?

BC Rent Bank is a project of Vancity Community Foundation, funded by the Province of British Columbia. We provide funding to the provincial rent bank network and support our rent bank partners with technology, resources, and training. We use the data and information we collect to advocate for change within the renter market.

BC Rent Bank does not provide financial assistance directly to renters. We partner with community-based agencies or local non-profit organizations, which operate rent banks in communities around BC. These organizations provide financial and other vital supports to renters across the province.

What is a rent bank? What do rent banks do?

Rent banks provide eviction prevention and housing stability services to help renters maintain their housing when times get tough. Rent banks offer financial assistance and individualized support services to help renters through unexpected challenges that are putting their housing at risk.

Rent banks are operated by local non-profit organizations across BC; they also provide or facilitate connections to other services—such as financial literacy and debt relief; government benefits and housing supports; physical needs such as food and clothing; and referrals that support physical, mental and emotional well-being.

What is the difference between BC Rent Bank and a local rent bank?

BC Rent Bank does not provide services directly to renters. BC Rent bank provides funding, resources, and support to the network of rent banks across BC.

Local rent banks work directly with renters in their communities to provide financial assistance, support, and referrals to prevent eviction and enhance housing stability.

Who do rent banks serve?

Rent banks serve low- to moderate-income renters who are unable to pay rent or essential utilities due to an interruption in earnings or an unexpected expense.

Other than renters, who else benefits from rent banks?

Rent banks are important for more than just individual renters. The rent bank network benefits:

• Communities
  • Housing and health are interrelated. Safe, affordable housing is a building block for the wellbeing of any individual. When people in our communities become unhouse, it costs everyone.
  • Each time an individual leaves a rental property, the landlord is allowed to increase the rental rate. While keeping a tenant will not free up a new rental space, reducing rental turn-over helps keep rental prices lower.
  • When a tenant is evicted, landlords absorb the cost of missed rent payments and incur the expenses of finding new tenants.
  • Shelters and other organizations often at capacity benefit from fewer individuals seeking support.

  Who is eligible to apply for rent bank assistance?

  We encourage you to apply if you meet the following minimum criteria:

  • 19+ or an emancipated minor
  • A renter in British Columbia
  • Experiencing a crisis that has impacted your ability to pay rent or utilities (gas, hydro, water)
  • Owing less than $3,500 in rent or utilities
  • Able to provide proof of income sufficient to cover ongoing monthly living expenses and repay a loan
  • Part of a low-to-moderate income household
  • Free from undischarged bankruptcy

  If you do not meet the eligibility criteria and would like information on other rental assistance options, please visit BC Housing’s website or call BC 2-1-1.