What sets BC apart for renters is earthquake risk. The Cascadia subduction zone, which runs from mid Vancouver Island to northern California, produced an earthquake of about magnitude 9 in 1700, and a standard tenant policy pays nothing for earthquake damage to your belongings or for where you live afterwards. Add the many rentals that are strata units, where a strata corporation can try to recover its insurance deductible from the owner responsible for a loss, and BC tenants have two coverage questions to think through. How tenant insurance works in general is covered in the tenant insurance guide; this page covers what is specific to British Columbia, and the home insurance hub links to every province.
What BC tenants pay
APOLLO Insurance, an online insurer, publishes the average price of the tenant policies it issues. For policies issued from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, its BC average was $21.74 a month, against $21.74 across all the provinces in its data. That is one insurer’s customers, not a market-wide figure. Two things move a BC renter’s price in particular:
- Earthquake coverage. It is an optional add-on with its own premium.
- Location. Where you live, down to the postal code, affects the premium.
A tenant’s earthquake endorsement covers contents and living expenses, not the building, so it insures a smaller amount than a homeowner’s does. APOLLO’s figures for other provinces are in the tenant insurance guide.
Earthquake coverage for renters
| What the earthquake endorsement does | Detail |
|---|---|
| Belongings destroyed or damaged by the quake | Covered up to the contents limit |
| Additional living expenses if the unit is unlivable | Covered, up to the policy’s limit |
| Deductible | Separate from the regular deductible, usually a percentage of the coverage limit |
| Liability questions after a quake | Check the policy wording with the insurer |
After a large earthquake, buildings may stay closed while they are inspected and repaired, so the additional living expenses part of the endorsement can matter as much as the contents part. Where an insurer offers a choice of earthquake deductible, a higher one generally lowers the premium.
Renting a strata unit: the deductible gap
Many BC rentals are strata (condo) units owned by investors. The strata corporation insures the building, and its deductible can be large. Under BC’s Strata Property Act, the strata corporation can sue an owner to recover the deductible if the owner is responsible for the loss, and the owner may in turn look to a tenant who caused it. If you rent a strata unit, it is worth asking your insurer how your liability coverage would respond to that kind of claim. The owner’s side is covered in the condo insurance guide.
Flooding and sewer backup
The November 2021 atmospheric river caused widespread flooding in southern BC, including Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley. Overland water and sewer backup are excluded from a standard tenant policy and available as endorsements, which matter most for ground-floor and basement suites and for units near rivers or low-lying areas.
BC insurers to compare
BCAA sells renters insurance, with discounts for BCAA members, including one for members who also buy BCAA car insurance, and offers earthquake coverage as an add-on. Square One is Vancouver-based, quotes online and offers earthquake coverage as an optional add-on. Basic car insurance in BC comes from ICBC, which sells auto insurance only, so a bundle discount depends on buying optional car coverage and tenant insurance from the same private insurer. The best tenant insurance companies page compares providers.
Tenant insurance in other provinces
Other provinces raise different issues: the standard-lease insurance clause in Ontario, hail and wildfire evacuations in Alberta, and spring flooding in Quebec. BC renters who buy can compare BC home insurance, and tenancy rules are in the BC tenant rights guide.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 25, 2026. How we check facts.
- a.storyblok.com: of the Property and Casualty