[Great68]

Originally Posted by meme405

Can someone point me to somewhere it is written this is not allowed? Like in the RTA or something.

I had a friend say something similar, and I was always under the impression this wasn't allowed, but now looking it up, I cant find where it says it isn't allowed.

Deposits & Fees - Province of British Columbia

Landlord & Tenant Responsibilities

Landlords:

- Can only request one security deposit or pet damage deposit per tenancy agreement, regardless of the number of tenants or pets
- Can serve a One Month Notice to End Tenancy (PDF, 2.1MB) if a tenant fails to pay the security deposit within 30 days of entering into the tenancy agreement or a pet damage deposit within 30 days of when it’s required
- Cannot request deposits based on rules and procedures used in other areas (for example, landlords can’t ask for “first and last month’s rent” or “key money”)
- Cannot increase the amount of a deposit with a rent increase
- Cannot automatically keep all or part of the deposit at the end of the tenancy

Asking for 12 months rent in advance would fall under the bolded. Illegal.