Rental Housing

Renter households make up a growing share of Coquitlam’s population.

In 2021, Coquitlam’s share of renter households increased by a rate of 18% compared to the 2016 Census. In contrast, Coquitlam’s share of owner households grew by 5.5%.

As part of the Housing Affordability Strategy’s (PDF) partner-based approach, the City has leveraged floor area incentives to help increase the provision of secured rental housing in new developments.

The City offers rental housing development incentives including:

• Bonus density
• Parking reductions
• Amenity Contribution Credit
• Innovative Unit Types
• Affordable Housing Reserve Fund (PDF)

Since the Rental Incentive Program was introduced in 2017, the City has facilitated the completion of 937 secured rental units, with nearly a quarter of all units provided as non-market and/or below-market units.

Tenant Relocation Policy

The Tenant Relocation Policy applies to property developers acquiring existing rental housing sites (multifamily, co-op, non-market, minimum five units) with the intention of redeveloping.  

The Tenant Relocation Policy was updated in 2021 to bring policy in line with current practice. It offers clearer expectations for developers, providing consistent rules, criteria and tenant assistance requirements including the provision that developers must prepare Tenant Relocation and Assistance Strategies. Policy revisions include, requirements for increased advance notification, support for moving expenses and a new Renter Information Package. 

The City also adopted the Mobile Home Park Redevelopment Tenant Assistance Policy to address tenant displacement due to rezoning and redevelopment of mobile home parks. The policy is intended to help tenants with the opportunity for greater notification and assistance from development proponents than what is required under the Manufactured Park Home Tenancy Act.

Coquitlam Renter Information Package

The Renter Information Package provides information to tenants of market rental buildings that are being redeveloped.  In plain language, the Package summarizes the process and what tenants are entitled to under the provincial Residential Tenancy Act and the City of Coquitlam’s Tenant Relocation Policy.

• Renter Information Package  - English (PDF)
• Renter Information Package - Chinese - Simplified (PDF) 
• Renter Information Package  - Korean (PDF) 
• Renter Information Package  - Persian (PDF)

Information And Resources

• BC Residential Tenancies 
• Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre 
• Landlord BC