Alternatives to Dispute Resolution
Alternatives to Dispute Resolution The Basics Settlement Negotiations Compliance and Enforcement Unit Administrative Penalties Office of the Ombudsperson The Basics The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) adjudicates most rental disputes in BC, but there are some exceptions. If your tenancy is not covered by the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) – or if it is covered, but the type […]
Abandonment of Property
Part 5 of the Residential Tenancy Regulation outlines the rules for abandonment of personal property. A tenant is considered to have abandoned personal property in the following situations: (1) The tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out; (2) They have not paid rent or lived in the rental unit for at least one continuous month; and (3) They have removed almost all of their personal property.
Volunteer
Volunteer TRAC is not currently seeking any volunteers.
Personal Information
Landlords in BC must follow the Personal Information and Protection Act, which outlines the rules for collecting, using, storing, disclosing, and protecting a tenant’s personal information. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC) has developed a helpful guidance document that explains these rules in plain language.
Participating In a Hearing
Dispute resolution hearings are almost always held over the phone. When you apply for dispute resolution, you will be given a hearing package with instructions on how to connect to the conference call. Make sure to keep these instructions in a safe place and have them ready for the start of your hearing.
Preparing for a Hearing
To be successful at dispute resolution, you will have to gather and submit enough quality evidence to convince an arbitrator to rule in your favour. Telling your side of the story is generally not enough; you should be prepared to present relevant evidence in a convincing manner.
Applying for Dispute Resolution
The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) offers a service called dispute resolution, which is essentially BC’s tenant-landlord “court”. When facing a legal problem with your landlord, you do not have to hire an expensive lawyer and go to Small Claims Court or BC Supreme Court. Instead, you can request that a RTB arbitrator look at your case and make a legally-binding decision. Almost all legal disputes between tenants and landlords must be resolved through the RTB dispute resolution system.
Other Tenant Organizations
Other Tenant Organizations Access Pro Bono BC Housing BC Human Rights Clinic BC Human Rights Tribunal Community Legal Assistance Society Justice Education Society Lawyer Referral Service Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC PovNet Ready to Rent Residential Tenancy Branch Service BC The People’s Law School Together Against Poverty Society Vancouver Tenant’s Union […]
Other Tenant Publications
Other Tenant Publications Law Students’ Legal Advice Program Manual Guide for Manufactured Home Park Landlords and Tenants in BC Residential Tenancy Branch Policy Guidelines BC Judicial Review Self-Help Guide Legal Help for British Columbians Online Wikibook Aboriginal People and the Law in BC Can’t Pay Your Mortgage? What You Can Do If You’re Facing Foreclosure […]
Feedback
Feedback To maintain our funding, TRAC has to continuously show that the work we do is having a positive impact on the lives of our clients. If you have a couple minutes to spare, we would love to hear your feedback on our programs and services. Website survey Tenant Infoline survey Email survey Tenant […]