Tenants in BC are protected by the ''[[Residential Tenancy Act]]''. This is the law that makes rules for tenants and landlords. You may be able to use the Act to deal with problems you have with your landlord, by going to dispute resolution at the [[Residential Tenancy Branch]]. A dispute resolution hearing is like a landlord-tenant "court." You can ask a dispute resolution officer an arbitrator to interpret the rules in the ''Residential Tenancy Act''. For example, you can ask for repairs, or dispute an eviction notice. Dispute hearings can be held in person at the Residential Tenancy Branch, or over the phone by conference call. At the hearing, you can present evidence, and bring witnesses. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator will decide what to do about the problem, based on an interpretation of the law and your evidence. You and your landlord must obey the decision.

[http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/DownloadAsset?assetId=E6D9CB62397F41018FCC988EF511B41B&filename=housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rop.pdf Rules of Procedure] are posted on the Residential Tenancy Branch website. These rules can give you an idea of how the hearing is conducted. It is also useful to look at the Interpretation Policy Guidelines on that website. The Guidelines help explain what is meant by certain parts of the ''Residential Tenancy Act'' and are meant to assist dispute resolution officers arbitrators in making their decisions.

You can apply for a dispute resolution hearing at the Residential Tenancy Branch. There are Branch offices in Burnaby, Victoria and Kelowna. If there is no you can't access this office in your area, you can apply through the Government Agent or a Service BC Centre close to where you live (look in the Blue Pages of the phone book, under "Government of BC" or go to the [http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/ Service BC website]to see locations). You can also [http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/solving-problems/dispute-resolution/applying-for-dispute-resolution submit an application online].

It costs $50 100 to apply for a dispute resolution hearing unless you are claiming an amount over $5,000, in which case it is $100. You can pay by credit card if submitting your application online. If paying in person, you can pay by credit or debit card (credit not accepted at Service BC), cash, certified cheque or money order made out to: Minister of Finance, if paying in person. If you win your case, the dispute resolution officer can order the landlord to pay you back the fee if you request it on your application.

You can submit an online Application for Dispute Resolution form over the Internet to request a hearing before a dispute resolution officer an arbitrator to resolve a dispute. The filing fee must be paid online by credit card. The Residential Tenancy Branch will then send you information by email about how and when the hearing will be held, how to prepare the hearing packages that you must serve on the respondent(s), and other information related to the dispute resolution process.

You must fill out a form called [http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/RTB-12-T.pdf Tenant’s Application for Dispute Resolution], or apply online. When you are applying for dispute resolution, you are the "applicant" and your landlord is the "respondent."

*You need to check off the box on the second page of the form that best describes why you are applying for dispute resolution. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator will only deal with sections of the law that you write down on the form.*If you paid the $50 100 filing fee, check off the box that says you want to recover the cost of the filing fee from your landlord.*Include copies of evidence you will use in the hearing with the application. You can also provide it later, as long as you give copies to the landlord and dispute resolution officer arbitrator at least five business 14 calendar days before the hearing, not including holidays or weekends.

The Residential Tenancy Branch will give you a package of documents once you apply for dispute resolution. The package will include the date of your hearing, important information about serving documents and include extra copies of the documents for the landlord. You must serve the documents to your landlord right awaywithin 3 calendar days of receiving them.

If you and your neighbours have the same problem with the same landlord, the law says you can apply for dispute resolution as a group. For example, if several tenants have a problem with the heating in a building you can all apply for a repair and service order together. Tenants who apply for dispute resolution as a group will have to pay the $50 filing fee plus $25 for each tenant who joins the application. Only one hearing will be held. Not everyone in the group will need to attend the hearing. To apply, you and your neighbours need to fill out forms available from the Residential Tenancy Branch. Call the [[Residential Tenancy Branch]] or the [http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca/helpmap/service/1085 Tenant Information Line] for more information.

You can represent yourself at the hearing. You need to present evidence to the dispute resolution officer arbitrator to tell your side of the story. Your landlord can also present evidence. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator will make a final decision based on this evidence, so it’s important to prepare your case well and have all your evidence with you. The hearings are only scheduled for usually last no longer than one hour from start to finish so it is important that you are organized and that you stay on topic.

You can also bring submit letters, receipts, photographs, audio and video tapes to as evidence for the dispute resolution hearing. If you need equipment to play a video or audio tape, you must tell the Residential Tenancy Branch in advance. If you are seeking a monetary order, please use the Residential Tenancy Branch [http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/RTB-37.pdf Monetary Order Worksheet]. You should If you are the applicant, you must provide copies of your papers and photographs all evidence to the Residential Tenancy Branch and your landlord as soon as possible, or at least five business 14 days before the hearing. (If you are the hearing will be held by phonerespondent, you must send provide copies of your all evidence to them in advancethe Residential Tenancy Branch and your landlord as soon as possible, or at least seven days before the hearing.) Your landlord must do the same. If your evidence is only made available at the hearing, the landlord can ask for the hearing to be held at a later date, or for the arbitrator to not consider it. The dispute resolution officer may refuse to consider evidence brought at the last minute. All evidence must be organized, clear, and legible. The first page of your evidence package should be an index, clearly numbering and describing the evidence included. All parties should have identical copies of your evidence package, so everyone can follow along during the hearing.

This includes your tenancy agreement, letters, notices, photographs, receipts and witnesses. Make sure your papers are in the order you want to present them. Bring two extra copies of the papers Have a pen and photographspaper, if or computer ready so you haven't already provided your evidence to the Residential Tenancy Branch and landlord. (If the hearing is on the phone, you must send copies of the papers and photographs to both of them in advance.) If they don’t have this information, the hearing may be put off to another date, or may be held without the evidence. Give copies of your written evidence to the Residential Tenancy Branch and landlord at least five business days before can take notes during the hearing.

If your landlord is talking to the dispute resolution officer arbitrator first, you can write down any questions you may want to ask. When it's your turn, you can make your points.

Dispute resolution hearings are increasingly being almost always held by conference call. They are the same as in-person hearings except that you attend by phoning in to the Residential Tenancy Branch. When you apply for a dispute resolution hearing you will be given a hearing package. The first page of the package is a Notice of Hearing and it contains instructions on how to participate in the hearing. You’ll need these instructions when your hearing time arrives. Here are some points to remember about conference call hearings:

*The dispute resolution officer arbitrator may come on the line late if held up in another hearing. Do not hang up. Wait on the line so that the dispute resolution officer arbitrator does not conduct the hearing without you.

If a dispute resolution officer an arbitrator decides in your favor, the landlord must obey the decision. If the landlord ignores the order, you should contact the Residential Tenancy Branch. In some cases, you may need to go back to dispute resolution. For example, if the landlord ignores an order to do repairs, you will need the Residential Tenancy Branch's permission to take money off your rent to pay for repairs.

You could be awarded money back from your landlord at the dispute resolution hearing, but your landlord might not pay you. You should write to your landlord enclosing a copy of the order, and asking them to pay. A Residential Tenancy Branch dispute resolution officer’s arbitrator’s order is as serious as any court order. If the landlord doesn't pay, you can file the order at the Small Claims Division of the Provincial Court. (Look in the Blue Pages of the phone book under "Court Registries.") The court staff will explain your options after you have filed the order.

===Mistakes in the dispute resolution officerarbitrator's decision===

You can ask a dispute resolution officer to correct a mistake in the decision within 15 days of receiving it. For example, if you won at dispute resolution but there is no mention of getting your $50 100 filing fee back, it may be a mistake. You can also ask for reasons for the decision, if they are missing or not clear. You must fill out a form from the Residential Tenancy Branch called [http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/RTB-6.pdf Request for Correction] or [http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/RTB-38.pdf Request for Clarification].

*You have evidence that the dispute resolution officer’s arbitrator’s decision was obtained by fraud. When a person lies to the dispute resolution officerarbitrator, this is called fraud. You must provide proof of the fraud and show how it influenced the decision.

You can apply for a dispute resolution review at the Residential Tenancy Branch. There are Branch offices in Burnaby, Victoria and Kelowna. If there is no you can't access this office in your area, you can apply through the Government Agent or a Service BC Centre centre close to where you live (look in the Blue Pages of the phone book, under "Government of BC" or go . Go to the [http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/ Service BC website]to see locations.

Applying for a review of a dispute resolution order will cost you $2550. If you didn't have to pay a fee for your original hearing, you won't have to pay a fee for the review hearing either.

*within 2 days of the date you received a dispute resolution officeran arbitrator's decision for early termination or an order of possession, or an order regarding assigning or subletting a tenancy, or a landlord's notice to end a tenancy for non-payment of rent,*within 5 days of the date you received a dispute resolution officeran arbitrator's decision for a repair, or for a notice to end the tenancy,*within 15 days of the date you receive a dispute resolution officeran arbitrator's decision for any other type of dispute resolution hearing.

If your application is submitted after the deadline, the dispute resolution officer arbitrator will decide whether or not to accept it.

The review could be considered by any dispute resolution officerarbitrator, including the one who conducted the original hearing. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator will consider only your application, new evidence that you provide, and the records from the original hearing. You won’t be able to speak to the dispute resolution officer arbitrator about your application. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator can refuse your application if you do not have grounds (good enough reasons) for review.

Applying for review does not automatically stop the decision. The dispute resolution officer arbitrator may decide to suspend the original decision until the review is complete. This will stop the landlord from enforcing the order. For example, if the original decision was to end your tenancy, the dispute resolution officer arbitrator may allow you to stay in your place until the review is complete.

If the dispute resolution officer arbitrator approves your application, you will receive written notice that there will be a review. You must deliver the notice about the review within three days. There are two ways to serve the notice:

===What the dispute resolution officer arbitrator can do===

The dispute resolution officer arbitrator reviewing the decision can:

You can ask for a review of the dispute resolution officer’s arbitrator’s decision at a judicial review at the Supreme Court of BC. This is your only option for review if:*your case does not meet the grounds for review of a dispute resolution officerarbitrator's decision provided by the Residential Tenancy Branch, or*you want to challenge a dispute resolution officerarbitrator's decision resulting from a review.