Does BC require a specific lease form?
British Columbia does not force every landlord to use one exact form, but the Residential Tenancy Branch publishes the RTB-1 Residential Tenancy Agreement, which already contains everything the law requires. Whether a landlord uses the RTB-1 or writes their own agreement, the standard terms set by the Residential Tenancy Act apply automatically. Using the RTB-1 is the simplest way to be sure nothing required is missing.
The standard terms apply no matter what
This is the key point in BC. A tenancy agreement cannot remove or weaken a right or obligation set out in the Residential Tenancy Act or its standard terms. If a landlord's custom agreement leaves something out, or tries to override a protection, the standard term still applies and the conflicting clause does not. The agreement adds detail on top of the law; it cannot subtract from it.
Deposits in British Columbia
A landlord can collect a security deposit of no more than half a month's rent, and, if pets are allowed, a separate pet damage deposit of up to another half month. Both must be returned, with interest, at the end of the tenancy unless there is a valid deduction agreed to or ordered. The amounts and the condition-inspection reports at move-in and move-out are worth recording carefully.
Once a lease is signed, keeping it, the rent record, and the key dates in one place is what turns a later question into a lookup. See how Habyn handles lease management and rent tracking.