Calgary Landlord Rules 2026: Deposits, Rent, STRs

How big can a security deposit be?

A landlord can't collect more than one month's rent as a security deposit, and can't raise it later. It must be held in trust and returned with interest at the rate the province sets, less documented deductions, after the tenancy ends. Source: Alberta King's Printer, Residential Tenancies Act, SA 2004 c R-17.1 (security deposit s.43), effective May 14, 2026. Checked November 1, 2026.

How often can you raise the rent?

Rent can rise once every 365 days, counted from the start of the tenancy or the last increase, with three months' written notice for a monthly periodic tenancy (12 weeks for weekly). Alberta has no rent control: "there is no limit on the amount" a landlord may raise the rent. A fixed-term lease can't be increased during its term. Source: Alberta King's Printer, Residential Tenancies Ministerial Regulation, AR 211/2004 (rent increase frequency), effective June 29, 2026. Checked November 1, 2026. Source: Government of Alberta, During a tenancy: rent increases (no cap on amount). Checked November 1, 2026.

What do short-term rentals need?

Renting for short stays in Calgary needs a City business licence: $289 new for your primary residence and $627 for any other property in 2026, with a fire inspection. The City limits each licence to one booking at a time. Hosts collect Alberta's tourism levy, 6% for bookings from April 1, 2026 (it was 4%). Source: City of Calgary, Business licence fee schedule 2026 (short-term rental), effective January 1, 2026. Checked November 1, 2026. Source: City of Calgary, Short-term rental business licence rules. Checked November 1, 2026. Source: Government of Alberta, Tourism levy (6% from April 1, 2026), effective April 1, 2026. Checked November 1, 2026.

Two suite programs don't mix with short stays: homes that took the City's suite incentive committed not to licence a short-term rental for two years, and the insured suite refinance doesn't allow units rented for under 90 days.

What if the rental is a suite in your home?

A secondary suite must be registered with the City (free until December 31, 2026) and meet the building code for a separate dwelling: egress windows, ceiling height, interconnected alarms and fire separation. Source: City of Calgary, Suite Registry Bylaw 11M2018 (registration required), effective January 1, 2018. Checked November 1, 2026. The suite rules page has the 2026 permit fees and what changed with the rezoning repeal.

What does an empty month do to the numbers?

The notice rules mean a tenant who leaves after a rent increase can leave a gap of a month or more. On the median detached house rented at $2,470, here is the cash flow at different amounts of vacancy over a year:

A month empty costs a full month's rent, and turnover adds cleaning, advertising and sometimes repairs on top. That is why a modest increase that keeps a good tenant can beat a bigger one that empties the unit: a 5% increase on $2,470 is $124 a month, or $1,482 a year, about half a month's rent.

How much can rent rise over five years?

Alberta has no cap on the size of an increase, only on how often. On the median detached house rented at $2,470, here is where the rent and the cash flow land after four yearly increases at three rates (costs held, which flatters the higher rates):

Raising rent yearly helps, but slowly: at 5% a year it takes the whole five years to add about a fifth to the rent. The market decides whether a tenant stays at the new number, which is why the next table matters.

What does a tenant turnover cost?

A month's vacancy and turnover costs on this house take about two years of a 5% increase to earn back. A good tenant on a modest increase is often worth more than a bigger increase that empties the unit. The Residential Tenancies Act also requires a move-in and move-out inspection report; doing both properly is what lets you deduct damage from the deposit.

When can the next increase take effect, and when is notice due?

For a monthly tenancy that runs from the first of the month, an increase can take effect 365 days after the last one, and written notice has to be given at least three full tenancy months before. Three examples:

A notice given too late can't make the increase take effect sooner: the three full months still have to pass. Rent in a fixed-term lease generally stays as written until the term ends. Keep a copy of every notice with the date it was delivered.

What does a short-term rental licence add to the monthly numbers?

Calgary's 2026 short-term rental licence is $289 a year for a primary residence and $627 otherwise, about $24 and $52 a month. The 6% tourism levy is charged to guests on top of the nightly rate, but it has to be collected and remitted, and it makes the price guests compare higher than the nightly rate you set. Short stays also need furnishing, cleaning between guests and higher insurance, none of which a long-term lease asks of you. Model a short-term plan as a business with those costs in it, not as a lease with a higher rent.

How does it work on a real example?

What do the terms in this guide mean?