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{{Tenant Survival Guide TOC}}
''Do'DO:' give your landlord in writing a forwarding address where your security deposit can be sent. ''Don't'' move without giving at least give one full month's written notice if you have a to end your month-to-month tenancy agreementno later than the day before your rent is due. Failing to do so could result in you owing an extra month of rent.
===Finding someone to take over your Illegally breaking a lease===
If you need move out before the end of your fixed term tenancy – often referred to break a lease that runs for six months or more, you can find as “breaking a new tenant to take lease” – your place. If you want landlord may be entitled to leave your home some money, depending on how much rental income they lost and not come back, you can "assign" it whether they made reasonable efforts to another find a replacement tenant. In this case, the assignee becomes responsible for the remainder of your lease. However, you may still be held responsible if the assignee does not carry out the terms of the agreement.
==Alternatives to breaking a lease== If you must end your tenancy early, there are a few options to consider before packing up and leaving. Depending on your situation, you may be able to end your tenancy without having to illegally break your lease. ===Mutual agreement to end tenancy=== Your landlord may simply agree to end your tenancy early. To help convince them, offer to help find a new tenant by advertising your rental unit and making it accessible for regular viewings. The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) offers a standard [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/forms/rtb8.pdf “Mutual Agreement to End Tenancy”] form. ===Sublet / assignment=== You might be able to sublet or assign your tenancy agreement. A sublet occurs when a tenant temporarily moves out and rents their unit to a subtenant until they return, whereas an assignment occurs when a tenant permanently moves out and transfers their agreement to a new tenant. To sublet or assign your tenancy agreement, you must have your landlord’s written consent. However, according to [Filehttp:Tenant //www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_02078_01#section34 section 34(2)] of the ''Residential Tenancy Act (RTA)'', if your fixed term tenancy agreement has at least six months remaining on it, your landlord cannot unreasonably withhold their consent. If you believe your landlord is unreasonably withholding consent, you have the right to apply for dispute resolution to ask for an order allowing you to sublet or assign your tenancy. There are important differences between sublets and assignments. When you sublet a rental unit, you retain rights and responsibilities associated with that tenancy agreement. However, when you assign a rental unit, your rights and responsibilities are usually transferred to the person to whom you are assigning the agreement. See RTB [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/policy-guidelines/gl19.pdf Policy Guideline 19] for more information. '''Exception:''' The sublet and assignment rules in the ''RTA'' do not apply to non-profit housing that falls under [http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/10_477_2003#section2 section 2] of the ''Residential Tenancy Regulation''. ===Landlord breach of a material term=== According to [http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/00_02078_01#section45 section 45(3)] of the ''RTA'', you can consider ending your tenancy early if your landlord has breached a “material term” and failed to correct the situation within a reasonable period after receiving your written warning. According to RTB [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/policy-guidelines/gl08.pdf Policy Guideline 8], a material term is a term that is so important that even the simplest breach or violation may give you the right to end the tenancy. The ''RTA'' does not define “material term”, since the same term could be considered material in one tenancy but not another. If you end your tenancy due to breach of a material term, your landlord may apply for a monetary order against you, so be prepared to convince an arbitrator that there was no way your tenancy could have continued. Alternatively, you can apply for dispute resolution to request permission to end your tenancy early. ===Family violence or long-term care=== Tenants can end a fixed term tenancy early by providing one month written notice if they:* need to leave their rental unit to protect themselves or their children from family violence;* have been assessed as requiring long-term care; or* have been accepted into a long-term care facility. To legally end a tenancy in these circumstances, you must provide your landlord with a completed RTB form, [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/forms/rtb49.pdf “Ending Fixed Term Tenancy Confirmation Statement”], signed by an authorized third-party verifier. When ending a tenancy early due to family violence, here are some common examples of third party verifiers:* medical practitioner;* nurse practitioner;* psychologist;* social worker;* police officer;* counsellor;* practising lawyer; or* victim court support caseworker; When ending a tenancy early due to long-term care, here are some common examples of third party verifiers:* medical practitioner;* nurse practitioner;* psychologist;* social worker; * manager of a long-term care facility; or* occupational therapist. For more information on this topic, including a full list of all third-party verifiers, see [http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/10_477_2003#part7 Part 7 of the Residential Tenancy Regulation]. ==Cleaning responsibilities== Residential Tenancy Branch [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/policy-guidelines/gl01.pdf Policy Guideline 1] provides an overview of your responsibility to clean your rental unit when moving out.jpg | left | frame | linkHere are some examples of areas in your rental unit that you are expected to clean:* the inside and outside of appliances, such as the stove, fridge, and dishwasher;* behind and underneath the fridge and stove, if they are on rollers and can be pulled out;* floors and wall vents;* the insides of all your windows and doors;* the outside of any sliding glass doors or balcony windows;* blinds and window coverings;* walls and baseboards;* any fireplace you used, as well as its screen, vent, or fan; and* if your tenancy was at least one year, or you smoked or had pets, the carpets should be steam cleaned or shampooed. ==Move-out condition inspection reports== At the end of your tenancy, you and your landlord should walk through your rental unit and complete a move-out condition inspection report. This is a chance to fill out a checklist and document the condition of your home. Completing this report when you move in and move out will help determine how much damage, if any, has been caused during your tenancy. = ==Approved forms=== There is a good chance your landlord will use the standard Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/forms/rtb27.pdf Condition Inspection Report]. However, if they choose to use their own custom form, it should still contain all the information required by [http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/10_477_2003#section20 section 20]of the ''Residential Tenancy Regulation (RTR)'' – just like the standard RTB form.
== Cleaning and move-out =Scheduling an inspection ===
===If you didn't do a move-Participating in the inspection===
==Legislation and links==