Other Resources for Tenants

Housing alternatives

BC Active Manufactured Home Owners Association	For those who own their manufactured home.	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

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Residential Tenancy Branch | width="40%" | 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. | width="40%" | Website: [1]
Lower Mainland Phone: (604) 660-2421
Victoria Phone:(250) 387-1602
Phone toll free: 1-800-663-7867

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Service BC(Government Agent) | width="40%" | If there is no Residential Tenancy Branch office where you live, you can call or visit Service BC. | width="40%" | Website: [2]
Phone:(604) 660-2421
Phone toll-free: 1-800-663-7867

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Property Use Inspector | width="40%" | Repairs, heat, fire safety, City of Vancouver only. | width="40%" | Website: [3]
Phone: (604) 873-7398 or 311 |}

Advocacy and referral services

Lower Mainland:

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [4]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [5]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [6]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [7]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [8]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- valign="top" | width="20%" | Vancouver Coastal Health Protection | width="40%" | Information about bed bugs, rodent and insect infestations. | width="40%" | Website: [9]
Phone: (604) 736-2033
Phone toll-free: 1-866-884-0888

|- 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."

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.

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