Other Resources for Tenants

Housing alternatives

BC Active Manufactured Home Owners Association	Information and support for manufactured home owners.	Website: www.amhoa.ca Phone: (250) 544-1456
BC Housing	subsidized housing information	Website: www.bchousing.org Phone: (604) 433-2218 Phone toll-free: 1-800-257-7756
Co-operative Housing Federation of BC	Information for people living in co-ops.	Website: www.bcca.coop/member/co-operative-housing-federation-bc Phone: (604) 879-5111 Phone toll-free: 1-866-879-5111

Government

Residential Tenancy Branch	Government department that carries out residential tenancy law. Provides information and dispute resolution services. Visit their website to download forms, see legislation, policy guidelines, and fact sheets.	Website: www.rto.gov.bc.ca Lower Mainland Phone: (604) 660-2421 Victoria Phone:(250) 387-1602 Phone toll free: 1-800-663-7867
Service BC(Government Agent)	If there is no Residential Tenancy Branch office where you live, you can call or visit Service BC.	Website: www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca Phone:(604) 660-2421 Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-7867
Vancouver Property Use Inspector	Repairs, heat, fire safety, City of Vancouver only.	Website: Property Inspection Phone: (604) 873-7398 or 311

Advocacy and referral services

Lower Mainland:

411	Seniors center. Provides information and referrals to seniors	Website: [1] Phone: (604) 736-2033 Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888
Abbotsford Community Services- Legal Advocacy Office	Information, referrals, and representation. Serving Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission.	Website: Abbotsford Legal Advocacy Abbotsford Phone: 604.859.7681 Local 207 Chilliwack Phone: 604-792-8000 ext.231 Email: Kim.Kirkpatrick@AbbotsfordCommunityServices.com
BC Centre for Elderly Advocacy & Support	Legal information and represenation for tenants 55 and over.	Website: bcceas.ca Phone: (604) 437-1940, Phone toll-free: 1-866-437-1940
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre	Drop-in centre and basic needs services; as well as mental health and legal advocacy, victim services and outreach services.	Website: dewc.ca Phone: (604) 681-8480, ext. 221
First United Church	Advocates assist people in the Greater Vancouver area with a variety of issues including welfare, tenancy, EI, and disability.	Website: firstunited.ca Phone: (604) 252-9504
Law Students’ Legal Advice Program	Legal advice and information in the Lower Mainland for people who can’t afford a lawyer.	Website: www.lslap.bc.ca Phone: (604) 822-5791
MOSAIC Legal Advocacy	Information, summary advice, referrals, and representation to low-income immigrants and refugees.	Website: MOSAIC Legal Advocacy Phone: (604)-629-0061 Email: legaladvocacy@mosaicbc.com
sources -Newton Advocacy Group Society	Advocacy services including information, referrals, and representation. Serving Surrey residents.	Website: Sources BC Phone: (604) 596-2311
North Shore Community Resources	legal information, support, referrals and advocacy services for residents of the North Shore (including the city of North Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, District of West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lions Bay)	Website: www.nscr.bc.ca Phone: (604) 985-7138
SHARE Family and Community Services	Information, referrals, and advice. Serving Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra.	Website: sharesociety.ca Phone: (604)-937-6982
Seniors Services Society	Information on housing and benefits for seniors.	Website: seniorsservicessociety.ca Phone: (604) 520-6621
Shiloh-Sixth Avenue United Church: Community Advocate		Phone: (604) 522-3443 ext. 22
St. Paul’s Advocacy	Provides information and advocacy on tenancy issues and welfare applications.	Website: [2] St. Paul's Advocacy Phone: (604) 683-4287
The Kettle	Provide assistance for people with mental health disabilities with a range of tenancy matters including representation at arbitration.	Website: www.thekettle.ca Phone: (604) 253-0669
Wilson Heights United Church Advocacy Office	Provides community advocacy.	Website: Wilson Heights Advocacy Phone: (604) 325-9944

Victoria area

Burnside Gorge Community Association	Provides support, information, referrals, advocacy and assistance with basic needs to families in housing crisis.	Website: burnsidegorge.ca Phone: (250) 388-5251
The Law Centre	Legal advice, representation and information in Victoria for those who can’t afford a lawyer.	Website: www.thelawcentre.ca Phone: (250) 388-4516
Ready to Rent	Information on renting in BC, and community courses on renting	Website: www.readytorentbc.net Phone: (250) 388-7171
Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS)	Advocacy for tenants who are having disputes with their landlord.	Website: www.tapsbc.ca Phone: (250) 361-3521
Victoria Native Friendship Centre	Housing advocacy for homeless First Nations people as well as information and guidance about rentals, tenant rights, referrals, supportive resources and practical living skills.	http://www.vnfc.ca/ www.vnfc.ca] Phone: (250) 384-3211

Vancouver Island

Campbell River— Island JADE Society	Help with tenancy issues including representation at arbitration.	Website: Island JADE Society Phone: (250) 830-1171
Comox BC—Wachiay Friendship Center		Website: Wachiay Friendship Center Phone: (250) 338-7793, ext. 229
Courtenay—Island JADE Society		Phone: (250) 871-7708
Nanaimo—Nanaimo Citizens Advocacy Association		Phone: (250) 753-2321
Port Alberni—Port Alberni Friendship Centre	Legal information and advocacy for tenants.	Website: www.pafriendshipcenter.com Phone: ((250) 723-8281
Ucluelet—West Coast Community Resources Society	Information on renting in BC, and community courses on renting	Website: wccrs.ca Phone: (250) 726-2343

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Ready to Rent | width="40%" | Information on renting in BC, and community courses on renting | width="40%" | Website: www.readytorentbc.net
Phone: (250) 388-7171 |- valign="top" | width="20%" | Ready to Rent | width="40%" | Information on renting in BC, and community courses on renting | width="40%" | Website: www.readytorentbc.net
Phone: (250) 388-7171

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Ready to Rent | width="40%" | Information on renting in BC, and community courses on renting | width="40%" | Website: www.readytorentbc.net
Phone: (250) 388-7171

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Credit Counseling Society of BC | width="40%" | Provides assistance with debt problems. | width="40%" | Website: www.nomoredebts.org
Phone toll-free: 1-888-527-8999
Email: info@nomoredebts.org

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Dial-A-Law | width="40%" | Dial-A-Law is a library of practical legal information. It is operated by the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association. You can listen to the Dial-A-Law scripts over the phone, or read them on the website. The scripts are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi. | width="40%" | Website: www.dialalaw.org
Phone: 604-687-4680
Phone toll-free: 1-800-565-5297

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Lawyer Referral | width="40%" | Offers advice and information from a lawyer for a fee of $25 plus taxes for the first 30 minutes. | width="40%" | Website: www.cba.org/bc/
Phone: 604-687-3221 (Greater Vancouver)
Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-1919 from anywhere else in the province.

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | People's Law School | width="40%" | View the online animations "You Owe Money" and "Someone Owes You Money". | width="40%" | Website: www.publiclegaled.bc.ca; click on "Media" and then "Videos"

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Mediate BC | width="40%" | Mediate BC specializes in a wide variety of dispute resolution tools and processes. | width="40%" | Website: www.mediatebc.com |-

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Clicklaw | width="40%" | An Internet portal for public legal information and education in British Columbia. | width="40%" | Website: www.clicklaw.bc.ca

|}

The testing of the claims in a court proceeding at a formal hearing before a judge with the jurisdiction to hear the proceeding. The parties present their evidence and arguments to the judge, who then makes a decision resolving the parties' claims against one another that is final and binding on the parties unless successfully appealed. See "action," "appeal," "argument," "claim," "evidence" and "jurisdiction."

In law, the re-examination of a term of an order or agreement, usually to determine whether the term remains fair and appropriate in light of the circumstances prevailing at the time of the review. In family law, particularly the review of an order or agreement provided for the payment of spousal support. See "de novo," "family law agreements," "order" and "spousal support."

Processes used to resolve legal disputes, including negotiation, collaborative settlement processes, mediation, arbitration and litigation.

An act; a statute; a written law made by a government. See "regulations."

In contract law, a promise made by someone about a certain state of affairs, like "the plumbing was replaced last year" or "I had a vasectomy two years ago." See "misrepresentation."

In law, a legal incapacity to do certain things, like enter into a contract or start a court proceeding. Legal disabilities include insanity and being under the age of majority. See "age of majority."

A person licensed to practice law in a particular jurisdiction by that jurisdiction's law society. See "barrister and solicitor."

A dispute resolution process in which an arbitrator hears the evidence and arguments presented by the parties to a legal dispute and makes an award that resolves the dispute and is binding on the parties. The arbitration of family law disputes is governed by rules set out in Part 2, Division 4 of the Family Law Act. See "alternative dispute resolution" and "family law arbitrator."

A sum of money or an obligation owed by one person to another. A "debtor" is a person responsible for paying a debt; a "creditor" is the person to whom the debt is owed.