Guidelines and Resources for Landlord and Tenant Law (19:XVII)

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This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by the Law Students' Legal Advice Program on July 1, 2022.



A. Legislation and Regulations

Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78 [RTA].
Website: https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01

Residential Tenancy Regulation, BC Reg 477/2003, [RTR].
Website: https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/477_2003

  • The RTA and RTR set out the law of residential tenancies in BC. They will often hold the ultimate answer to questions relating to disputes between landlords and tenants.
  • For the current status of the RTA and RTR, refer to CCH British Columbia Real Estate Law Guide, Robert J. Maguire, Rose H. McConnell, loose-leaf (Toronto, ON: CCH, undated).

Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 77 [MHPTA].
Website: https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02077_01

Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Regulation, BC Reg 481/2003
Website: https://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/481_2003

The Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c 78 [RTA] and Residential Tenancy Regulation [RTR], BC Reg 477/2003 as well as the rules of procedure are amended occasionally; check the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) website to get the most up to date information.

B. Resources and Policy Guidelines

TRAC Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre
Website: https://www.tenants.bc.ca

Provides a variety of publications relating to tenant law, including the Tenant Survival Guide (also available online as a wikibook, via the Clicklaw website: wiki.clicklaw.bc.ca/index.php/Tenant_Survival_Guide)

Residential Tenancy Branch

Main Office

400 - 5021 Kingsway
Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4A5
Website: https://www.rto.gov.bc.ca
Office Hours: M-F 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Information line:

  • Metro Vancouver 604-660-1020
  • Victoria 250-387-1602
  • Elsewhere in BC 1-800-665-8779
  • Fax: 604-660-2363
  • E-mail: HSRTO@gov.bc.ca

Downtown Eastside Satellite Office

Four Corners

390 Main Street (Entrance on Hastings) Vancouver, B.C. V6A 2T1

Office Hours: M-F 12:30 pm - 4:00pm

NOTE: The main office in Burnaby is a full-service office. The Downtown Eastside office is a satellite office and does not handle money. Dispute applications can only be filed there by low-income applicants who are eligible for a fee waiver. Those offices are staffed with information officers.

The RTB website contains forms, legislation and RTB interpretation guidelines, and includes the following useful publications:

Residential Tenancy Branch Dispute Resolution Rules of Procedure

Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/rop.pdf

Residential Tenancy Information Sheets

Website: http://bit.ly/1KTmo6l

RTB Policy Guidelines: detailed information on common problem areas; drafted by RTB Arbitrators. Website: https://bit.ly/1ei1NfH

RTB Calculators: Help in calculating rent increases, dates, deposits and more. Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/calculators-and-resources/calculators

B.C. Housing

Suite 101 - 4555 Kingsway

Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4V8

Website: https://www.bchousing.org

Toll-free: 1-800-257-7756

Information for tenants living in public, subsidized housing.


Landlord BC

Website: www.landlordbc.ca

E-mail: info@landlordbc.ca

Direct: 1-888-330-6707


Vancouver Office:

1210-1095 West Pender Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

V6E 2M6

Telephone: 604-733-9420 Fax: 604-733-9420

Victoria Office:

830B Pembroke Street

Victoria, British Columbia

V8T 1J9

Telephone: 250-382-6324

Fax Local: 250-382-6006

Fax Toll-Free: 1-877-382-6006

C. Books

Margaret Carter-Pyne, Residential Tenancy Law in British Columbia: Everything you need to know to prevent a disaster (Victoria, BC: Sunnymead Publishing, 2009).

  • A useful resource for tenants in preparing for a hearing.

Allan Wotherspoon, Annotated British Columbia Residential Tenancy Act (Aurora, ON: Canada Law Book, 2005).

  • This is a loose-leaf volume updated once or twice annually.

CCH British Columbia Real Estate Law Guide, Robert J. Maguire, Rose H. McConnell, loose-leaf (Toronto, ON: CCH, undated).

  • A summary of the state of the RTA and RTR.


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