Every September, BC municipalities auction properties for unpaid taxes — here's how it actually works

Once a year, every municipality in British Columbia must auction properties with three years of unpaid property taxes. Opening bids are set by a legal formula — often a small fraction of assessed value. The lists are public, but they're scattered across dozens of municipal websites and published only days before the auction. We gather them for you, and explain the rules most bidders learn the hard way.

Next province-wide tax sale: Monday, September 28, 2026 · 10:00 am

Get the lists + the free buyer's guide

Sign up and you'll immediately receive The BC Tax Sale Buyer's Guide (free PDF). Then, as municipalities publish their tax sale lists each September, we'll deliver them to your inbox — compiled, so you don't have to check dozens of websites.

What is a BC property tax sale?

A tax sale is a public auction that every municipality in British Columbia is required by law to hold at 10:00 am on the last Monday of September (under the Local Government Act). Any property with taxes still unpaid from two years prior — "delinquent" taxes — must be offered for sale, usually in the council chambers at municipal hall.

The starting bid, called the upset price, is not based on market value. It's a formula: three years of unpaid taxes, plus penalties and interest, plus 5%, plus Land Title Act fees. That's why a home assessed in the hundreds of thousands can open at a few thousand dollars — and why these auctions attract so much attention every September.

But there's a twist most first-time bidders don't understand: winning the auction doesn't get you the keys. The original owner has one full year to redeem the property by paying what's owed. Most do. If the property is redeemed, the bidder gets their money back with interest — not the property. If it isn't redeemed, title transfers to the bidder. Understanding that one-year redemption period is the difference between a smart bid and an expensive surprise.

Vancouver is the exception: the City of Vancouver runs its own tax sale under the Vancouver Charter, held in November at City Hall, with its list published about a week in advance. So there are really two tax sale seasons in the Lower Mainland — late September everywhere, and November in Vancouver proper.

Why tax sales are unlike any other purchase

Opening bids set by formula

The upset price is unpaid taxes plus penalties, interest, and fees — not market value. Bidding starts there and can go anywhere. Sometimes there are no bids at all and the municipality takes the property.

The one-year redemption period

The owner can reclaim the property for a full year after the auction by paying what's owed. Most tax-sale properties are redeemed — the winning bidder gets a refund with interest instead of a home.

Sold sight unseen, as-is

No viewings, no inspections, no seller disclosure, no subject-to-financing. You bid on a legal description and pay in full, usually the same day. Due diligence happens before auction day, from public records.

Real opportunity, real traps

Occasionally a property does transfer at a deep discount. But charges on title, occupants, condition, and the redemption math can turn a "deal" into a problem. Knowing the rules is everything.

How this works

Sign up free

Enter your email above. You'll get the BC Tax Sale Buyer's Guide right away — the whole process, plain English, including the redemption math.

Get the lists in September

Municipalities publish their lists only days before the auction. As they drop, we compile them and send them to your inbox — plus Vancouver's November list when it's posted.

Get expert help

Curious about a property on a list? Reply to any email. Reggie can help you research title, assess what it's really worth, and decide whether bidding makes sense — or find you a better path to a below-market purchase.

Reggie MacIntosh

People-focused. Design-driven. Solution-oriented.

Tax sale properties are bought sight unseen, as-is, from a legal description — which means judgment about what a property really is, and what it could be worth, has to come from research rather than a walkthrough. That's where Reggie works differently. As a REALTOR® with an architecture background and years of designing, renovating, and building homes, he reads a property the way most people read a listing sheet: zoning, lot, structure type, era of construction, what's fixable and what isn't.

And because most tax-sale properties are redeemed before title ever transfers, Reggie's real value is often helping you find the same kind of opportunity through channels where you actually get the keys: court-ordered sales, estate sales, and homes listed below assessed value.

Learn more at reggiemacintosh.com.

Common questions

When are BC tax sales held?

At 10:00 am on the last Monday of September, every year, in every BC municipality — that's Monday, September 28 in 2026. The City of Vancouver is the exception: it holds its own auction under the Vancouver Charter, in November at City Hall.

Where do the lists come from?

Municipalities must publish public notice of the properties going to auction shortly before the sale — typically between three and ten days prior, in local papers and on municipal websites. Lists shrink daily as owners pay up; properties can be pulled right up to the auction itself. We compile the published lists and send them to subscribers as they appear.

Can I really buy a house for a few thousand dollars?

You can sometimes win the auction for a formula-based price far below assessed value. But the owner then has one year to redeem by paying what's owed — and most do, especially for valuable properties. If redeemed, you get your money back with interest. Title only transfers if the year passes without redemption.

What happens to the mortgage and other charges on title?

This is one of the most technical parts of tax sales — some charges are extinguished when title transfers and others survive. It's covered in the guide, and it's exactly the kind of thing to verify with a title search and independent legal advice before bidding on any specific property.

Do I need to attend in person? How do I pay?

Yes — these are live, in-person auctions at municipal hall, and the winning bidder generally must pay immediately or within hours, usually by certified funds. There's no financing condition and no cooling-off. Each municipality publishes its own payment rules with its notice.

Is this a good way to buy a home to live in?

Usually not — the redemption period means you can't count on getting the property, and you can't inspect it first. It's better understood as a niche investment strategy. If what you actually want is a below-market home you can move into, court-ordered sales, estate sales, and below-assessment listings are far more practical — and Reggie covers all three.

What does this cost?

Nothing. The lists and the guide are free. If you eventually buy a property with Reggie as your agent, he is paid the standard buyer-agent commission from the transaction, like any purchase.