110
edits
Changes
→Co-tenants
Co-tenants are jointly responsible for everything related to their tenancy, which means they are all equally responsible for each other’s behaviour. If the full rent is not paid on time because of one co-tenant, the landlord could issue an eviction notice that applies to everyone. Similarly, if damage has been caused to the rental unit, the landlord could choose to seek monetary compensation from any roommate – even if it was not that person’s fault.
'''Disputes between co-tenants:''' Disputes between co-tenants are not covered by the ''[http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_02078_01 Residential Tenancy Act (RTA)]'' and cannot be resolved through the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). A common dispute can arise when one roommate is late with their portion of the rent, and the other roommates are forced to pay the difference to avoid eviction. From a legal standpoint, this type of monetary dispute would have to be settled through [http://www.smallclaimsbc.ca/ Small Claims Court], the [https://civilresolutionbc.ca/ Civil Resolution Tribunal], or [https://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/supreme_court/ BC Supreme Court].
Problems can also arise when one co-tenant decides to move out, as that decision can affect the remaining co-tenants. Here are the two possible scenarios for when a co-tenant moves out: