For a month-to-month, or periodic tenancy agreement, a tenant must serve written notice to end the tenancy and make sure that it’s received:
At least one month before the effective date of the notice, and
Before the day that rent is due
For example, if rent is due on the first day of the month, a notice given on March 15 would not take effect until the last day of April and the tenant would have to pay rent for the month of April.
Unless they have written permission from the landlord or the Residential Tenancy Branch, the tenant must pay the rent for the last month of the tenancy – even if they move out earlier.
The tenant must move out by 1 p.m. on the effective date of the notice – the last day of the tenancy. To avoid disputes, both the landlord and tenant should be clear about the effective date. This is especially the case for tenancies where rent is due on a date other than the first of the month.
When a tenant has given written notice to the landlord, it cannot be cancelled or withdrawn unless the landlord agrees in writing.