Landlords are allowed to require tenants to pay a security deposit, which is money that the landlord can keep if the tenant damages the property.

Landlords can also require tenants to pay a pet damage deposit if they have a pet. However, these deposits cannot be more than half a month's rent.

Landlords cannot require more than one deposit of each type, and they cannot keep any of the deposit money automatically at the end of the tenancy.

Tenants are not allowed to use their deposit money as rent without the landlord's permission.

BC Residential Tenancy Act s. 18-21