If you are visiting from another country and renting in British Columbia, it is important to know your rights and obligations under the ''Residential Tenancy Act''.' If you are not planning on staying for a year, then you should not sign a lease or agreement that says you will stay for a year. Some landlords rent to visiting students knowing that they won’t stay for a year, but make them sign a one-year lease anyway. The landlord then uses the broken agreement as an excuse to keep the student’s security deposit. Another common problem for visiting students is landlords who don’t return security deposits. Some landlords take advantage of the fact that the student will be returning to another country and unable to file for dispute resolution for a return of their security deposit.