Tenant Survival Guide

The Tenant Survival Guide is intended to give tenants a basic understanding of residential tenancy law in British Columbia and what it means to them. The Guide is produced by the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre, an educational organization promoting tenants' rights and affordable housing in British Columbia.

Cover of Tenant Survival Guide

Contents

• Introduction
• Preparing to Rent
  • The law in BC · Are you covered by the law? · Landlords, owners, and agents
• Finding Rental Housing
  • Budgeting for rental housing · Identifying rental needs and preferences · Searching for rental housing · Viewing a rental unit · Personal information · Discrimination
• Entering a Tenancy
  • Protect yourself with a written contract · Tenancy agreements · Roommates · Changing terms in a tenancy agreement
• Moving In
  • Move-in condition inspection report · Rental unit must be suitable for occupation · Locks and keys · Tenant insurance
• Rent
  • Paying rent · Rent increases · Exceptions to rent increase rules
• Living in Peace When Renting
  • The meaning of quiet enjoyment · Landlord entry · Noise · Smoking · Intimidation, harassment, and physical harm · Guests
• Repairs and Services
  • Landlord repair and maintenance responsibilities · Tenant repair and maintenance responsibilities · Emergency repairs · Standards of Maintenance · Services and facilities
• Evictions
  • Types of evictions · 10 Day Notice for Non-Payment of Rent · One Month Notice for Cause · Landlord's Use of Property Eviction Notices · Deadlines to dispute eviction notices · Physically removing a tenant · Other ways a tenancy could end
• Moving Out
  • Giving notice to move out · Serving documents · Special service rules for certain documents · Illegally breaking a lease · Alternatives to breaking a lease · Cleaning responsibilities · Move-out condition inspection reports · Getting your deposit returned
• Dispute Resolution
  • The basics · Resolving disputes without dispute resolution · Applying for dispute resolution · Preparing for dispute resolution · Participating in dispute resolution · Collecting money from your landlord · Reviewing a dispute resolution hearing decision
• Other Resources for Tenants
  • Government · Tenant services · Online resources

About this Guide

The Tenant Survival Guide, produced by the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC), provides basic education on residential tenancy law in British Columbia. TRAC is a non-profit organization that promotes the legal protection of tenants by providing information, education, support, and research on residential tenancy matters.

About TRAC, the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre

The Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre is a non-profit organization that promotes the legal protection of residential tenants across BC by providing information, education, support, and research on residential tenancy matters.

Tenant Infoline

1-604-255-0546

Toll-free: 1-800-665-1185

Website: tenants.bc.ca

Tenant Survival Guide © TRAC Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.