On Tuesday, the Province annnounced that it would be introducing a series of amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act.
The series of amendments are being delivered through Bill 14, the Tenancy Statutes Amendment Act, which also received a first reading on Tuesday.
One of the biggest changes would be requiring landlords to use a web portal to generate an eviction notice on the basis of personal use. Oftentimes, these notices say that the landlord or a family member of theirs is going to be using the property themselves, only for the landlord to turn around and rent it out to a new tenant at a higher rate.
The Province says the web portal will educate landlords about the required conditions and risk of a bad-faith evictions, while also providing a standardized process for notices and allowing for post-eviction compliance audits.
The other big change is that landlords would no longer be able to increase rent if a tenant adds a child under the age of 19 to their household. The Province says this will be the case even if there is a term in the tenancy agreement that says the landlord can.
Additionally, other amendments will also increase the amount of notice a landlord must give a tenant when ending a tenancy on the basis of personal use, increase the amount of a time a landlord must occupy a rental unit after ending a tenancy for personal use from six months to 12 months, and prohibit evictions for personal use in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units.
Furthermore, the Province is also increasing the amount of time a tenant has to dispute a notice to end tenancy from 15 days to 30 days.
"While most landlords and tenants play by the rules and have respectful relationships, too many people in BC are still facing unfair rent hikes and evictions under false pretenses," said Premier David Eby. "At the same time, many people who have chosen to rent part of their home are struggling to end problematic tenancies. That's why we’re taking action to protect both renters and landlords with stronger rules designed to ensure the law is respected by everyone — and bring more fairness for everyone in the rental market."
"We are taking action to protect tenants from unfair evictions, promote better compliance, and improve the rental system overall," added Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon. "Renters should not lose their homes because of some bad actors who don't follow the rules. Landlords need the certainty that issues with problematic tenants can be resolved quickly. By putting stronger policies in place and increasing education, we are strengthening protections and promoting stability in the rental market."
According to the Province, the various changes would come into effect in phases, with some changes coming into effect as of the introduction of the bill, some upon the bill receiving royal assent, and others by new regulations coming later this year.
