Tenants in BC If you pay rent for your home, you are most likely protected by the ''[http://canlii.ca/t/84lm Residential Tenancy Act]''. The Act is , SBC 2002, c 78 (RTA) – the law that spells out the outlines tenants’ and landlords’ rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords. Don't assume The RTA is a provincial law that the laws applies only to British Columbia (BC). If you have rented in other provinces are or countries, do not assume that the same as in British Columbiarules apply. After reading this Tenant Survival Guide, you may be surprised at how BC’s tenancy laws differ from tenancy laws around the world.

The [[Residential Tenancy Branch]] One of the most important things to understand about the RTA is the government office that helps with problems between landlords and tenantsit cannot be avoided. Residential Tenancy Branch staff will give information about the law to All tenants and landlords in BC. They can help you are guaranteed certain legal rights by explaining the law , regardless of what their tenancyagreement says. According to yousection 5 of the RTA, and in some cases, by calling any term of an agreement that “contracts out” of the RTA is considered unenforceable. If your landlord on tries to unfairly reduce your behalf. rights in this way, contact the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC) or the Residential Tenancy Branch offices also hold dispute resolution hearings (RTB) for landlords and tenants when they cannot resolve disputes on their ownmore information.

A The RTB is the department of the provincial government in charge of residential tenancy law. The most important service they provide is dispute resolution hearing , which is essentially BC’stenant-landlord “court”. With over 1.5 million tenants living in BC, there is like never a landlord-tenant "courtshortage of residential tenancy law disputes." You When tenants and your landlord explain your problem landlords cannot resolve disputeson their own, they can apply for dispute resolution to have an “arbitrator” make a arbitrator, who is hired by the BC governmentlegally-binding decision on their behalf. The arbitrator decides what to do about RTB also offers tenants and landlords the following services and resources: * legal information in person, over the problemphone, based on your evidence and what the law saysby email; * website (gov. The arbitrator's decision is legally bindingbc. For more information on ca/landlordtenant) and social media;* online tools, such as a Solution Explorer and Calculators;* online application process for dispute resolution hearings, see the section [[Dispute Resolution ;* approved residential tenancy forms;* Rules of Procedure for Tenants|Dispute Resolution]]; and* Policy Guidelines on key topics.