Richmond Empty Home Tax: Rates, Exemptions, and Declaration

If you own a home in Richmond that sits empty for more than six months of the year, you owe British Columbia’s Speculation and Vacancy Tax: 1% of the property’s assessed value for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and 3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners as of the 2026 tax year. Every owner on title must file a declaration by March 31, even if the property qualifies for an exemption. The Richmond empty home tax is the provincial SVT applied to residential property in Richmond, one of several designated taxable regions in B.C.

What You Owe in 2026

The province doubled the lower rate and raised the higher one starting in the 2026 tax year. The tax is calculated on the assessed value set by BC Assessment.

On a Richmond home assessed at $1.5 million, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident with a vacant property owes $15,000. A foreign owner faces $45,000 on the same home.

The province uses “untaxed worldwide earner” (sometimes called a satellite family member) to describe a household where one spouse lives in Canada reporting little income while the other earns the household’s income overseas. The 3% rate applies because the bulk of the household’s worldwide income is not reported on a Canadian tax return.² Where a property has multiple owners, each co-owner is assessed on their own share based on their own residency and income status.

The tax applies to residential property only: detached houses, condominiums, and townhomes. Commercial and industrial properties are outside its scope. Ownership is fixed by the Land Title and Survey Authority records on December 31, so if your name is on title that day, you owe a declaration for the year.

How to Avoid Being Taxed

A property is not vacant if it is occupied for at least six months of the calendar year. That occupancy can be the owner living there as a principal residence, or a tenant using the home as their primary residence. You can combine months rented to different tenants, and mix arm’s-length and non-arm’s-length tenants, to reach the six months.³

The rules differ by relationship. An arm’s-length tenant is someone with no personal or family connection to you; they must have a written tenancy agreement under the Residential Tenancy Act and actually live in the home. A non-arm’s-length tenant, such as a parent, adult child, or sibling, does not need a lease or to pay rent, but must use the property as their principal residence.³

One caveat trips people up. A spouse or minor child living with a parent or guardian can never count as a tenant for this purpose. If your spouse is the only person using the property, that arrangement qualifies only through the principal residence exemption, which requires the spouse to be an owner or co-owner.

Exemptions That Apply Even When the Home Is Empty

If the property sits empty for more than six months, you may still owe nothing under a specific exemption. Each has its own documentation and must be claimed on the declaration.

Principal Residence

The most common exemption applies when the home is your principal residence for at least six months of the year. The province verifies this partly through your Social Insurance Number, cross-referencing whether you claimed the property as your principal residence for income tax purposes.

Death of an Owner

When an owner dies, all owners on title at the time of death are exempt for the year of death and the following calendar year. The person managing the estate is also exempt, even if they were not on title when the owner passed away.⁴

Medical Treatment or Residential Care

An owner receiving medical treatment is exempt if a medical practitioner certifies the treatment is necessary and impractical to obtain closer to the principal residence. This exemption lasts up to two years for the same condition. A separate exemption covers owners who lived in the home before entering a residential care facility due to age, illness, disability, or frailty, where the facility provides services such as daily meals, housekeeping, or nursing care. That exemption is also available for up to two years.⁴

Uninhabitable Property

If a disaster or hazardous condition beyond your control makes the property uninhabitable for at least 60 consecutive days during the year, you are exempt for that calendar year, and potentially the following year if repairs are not completed by March 1.⁴ Major renovations fall under a separate “land under development” category with its own rules; owners planning a gut renovation should check that category rather than assume the disaster exemption applies.

Separation or Divorce

Separated spouses are exempt on family property if they live apart for at least 90 consecutive days in the calendar year and do not reconcile. If separation happens less than 90 days before year end, the exemption carries into the next year. A second year is available if the division of family property is not yet finalized.⁴

Other Situations

The province also exempts properties where a person with a qualifying disability lives as the principal resident, properties that include a licensed child daycare, strata accommodation properties, and properties accessible only by water (more than 100 metres from an existing road). Bankruptcy trustees and testamentary trusts for minors have specific exemptions as well.⁴

The March 31 Declaration

The province mails a declaration letter to every residential property owner in Richmond. The letter carries a Letter ID and Declaration Code in the top right corner; you need both to use the online declaration portal.⁵

Each owner on title files a separate declaration, including spouses. Before starting, have your Social Insurance Number and date of birth ready: the province uses them to confirm residency, verify whether you pay income taxes in Canada, and set your rate.⁶ You can file online or by calling the province’s toll-free line. Online is faster and generates an immediate confirmation number. Save it as proof of filing.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

The declaration is due by March 31 each year.⁵ Missing it is the most costly mistake Richmond owners make. If you do not file on time, the province can classify your property as vacant and tax it at the full rate, even if you would have qualified for an exemption. Penalties and interest may apply on top of the tax.

If your declaration shows the property is taxable, you receive a Notice of Assessment by mail showing the amount owed. The payment deadline for 2026 is July 2.⁵ You can pay any time after receiving the notice.

Keep occupancy records, tenancy agreements, medical documentation, and building permits for several years after filing. The province can audit any declaration, and a 2024 amendment to the Speculation and Vacancy Tax Act extended the window to audit and assess late declarations. If you ever need to defend an exemption claim, those documents are what you will rely on.

1
Province of British Columbia. Making Homes Available for People With Speculation and Vacancy Tax
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Province of British Columbia. Terms and Definitions for the Speculation and Vacancy Tax
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Province of British Columbia. Tenancy Requirements for the Speculation and Vacancy Tax Exemptions
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Province of British Columbia. Exemptions for Individuals for the Speculation and Vacancy Tax
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Province of British Columbia. Speculation and Vacancy Tax
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Province of British Columbia. How the Speculation and Vacancy Tax Works