Tenancy Agreements (19:IV): Difference between revisions

{{REVIEWED LSLAP | date= July 1, 2022}}

The Residential Tenancy Branch provides a fillable and printable Tenancy Agreement at www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/RTB-1.pdf.  

A potential landlord cannot ask a renter or potential renter for an application fee. If someone has paid an application fee and the landlord will not give it back, one can apply for dispute resolution to have it returned. Applicants will need to know the landlord’s proper name and address and have proof that the fee was paid: see ''RTA'', s 15. If a landlord does this as a business practice, the tenant should report this to the director of the RTB, or to the RTB’s Compliance and Enforcement Unit (CEU), who can launch an investigation. (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/compliance-and-enforcement).

The “leasehold” or tenancy interest is an estate (a bundle of property rights) of limited duration, which is created and acquired by the “tenant” when a person capable of granting that interest does so. Such a person (usually called the owner or landlord) conveys to the tenant the right of “exclusive possession”. The interest that the landlord retains is called the “reversion” because full possession reverts back to the landlord on the termination of the tenancy.

A tenancy interest is granted by a contract known as a tenancy agreement or lease. Often the parties will enter into an express agreement The executed tenancy agreement governing the tenant’s possession may be written, or oral, or both (see the s 1 definition of “tenancy agreement”). To be enforceable, the elements of a complete contract (offer, acceptance, and consideration) must be present (see Chapter 11: Consumer Protection).  

'''b) By Implied Contract'''

Every tenancy agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2004 must be prepared in writing by the landlord (''RTA'', s 13(1)).

Notwithstanding this obligation to prepare the agreement in writing, where a tenant is already in possession of the unit, or where rent has been paid, the law may imply the existence of a valid tenancy agreement This type of rental agreement is quite common because many tenancies are entered into on the basis of an application form, or verbal consensus, without the existence of any written contract. A “tenancy agreement” may be found to exist, even when:

 

:a) there is no written tenancy agreement;

 

If the person in possession pays rent or a deposit and the landlord accept the payment with the intention of creating a tenancy, an agreement is created–it can be deemed to have come into effect even before a tenant assumes occupancy.

 

 

 

An occupant or person in possession who is not a tenant typically has no agreement with the landlord concerning that possession or occupation. In the case of a licensee or occupant living in a home by permission of the main tenant (when the landlord/owner lives off-site), the main tenant is responsible for all obligations, including paying rent (and utilities if required). If the licensee or occupant is sharing a kitchen or bathroom with the landlord, the parties can seek remedies in Small Claims Court.

 

=== 3. Formal Requirements of the Agreement ===

 

A landlord must prepare in writing every tenancy agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2004 (RTA, s 13(1)). A tenancy agreement must comply with any requirements prescribed in the regulations and must set out all the requirements in RTA s 13(2).

 

Where these elements are absent, vague, or unclear, the agreement may be void (as a result, no interest would be created). However, if the tenant is in possession and has paid money (i.e. rent) then there is a tenancy agreement. If a tenancy has been created (i.e. the tenant has possession and is paying rent), vague terms of the tenancy agreement may be framed in the tenant’s favour using the principle of contra proferentem (i.e. the agreement will be strictly construed against the party seeking to rely on the contract), and principles of statutory interpretation. The law seeks to recognize and validate the relationship where possible, even where the requirement to have a written tenancy agreement has not been met.

 

 

Landlords may occasionally attempt to have potential tenants enter into “agreements to lease”, whereby they agree, by paying some amount now, to enter into a lease at a later date. In accordance with the provisions of s.15 of the RTA: application, holding, consideration, administration or other fees are not permitted. If a tenant gives a landlord a sum of money after negotiating in relation to a rental unit, the most likely legal outcome is that the parties have created a tenancy, and the amount paid is considered either a security deposit and/or rent.

Throughout the establishment and duration of the agreement, the parties are generally free to add and alter the terms, covenants and conditions as they see fit – subject to restrictions imposed by common law and statute (e.g. prohibition of contracts for an illegal purpose, unconscionable terms, or contracts in restraint of trade). The ''RTA ''and ''MHPTA'' both restrict parties from contracting out of requirements of those Acts and from adopting terms that are contrary to the Acts. The changes in the tenancy agreement must be in writing and be signed and dated by both parties. Some requirements, such as locks on doors, are automatically included in every tenancy agreement even if the tenancy agreement does not specifically mention them. A unilaterally altered or newly included term may be unenforceable where there is nothing offered or given in return for it.

The parties may enter into additional or subsequent oral or written contracts, separate from the tenancy agreement, that change the way the terms of the tenancy agreement are carried out (e.g. agreement by the tenant to do repairs in return for paying a reduced amount of rent). The terms of the tenancy agreement still exist; they must be performed as stipulated when the collateral contract is fully performed or is otherwise terminated (e.g. one party dies or goes away). If an Arbitrator determines the terms are reasonable and not unconscionable, as defined within s 3 of the RTR, new landlords or tenants that take over or enter into the same tenancy agreement would be bound by the collateral contract. A remedy for the new landlord would be found in an action against the seller. Generally speaking, oral collateral contracts are hard to prove. '''If something is important, it should be recorded in writing.'''

'''a) Covenants and Conditions'''

A covenant in a tenancy agreement consists of a promise by a person that a certain thing must or must not be done (the RTA eliminates the word “covenant” and uses the more modern word “term”). A “Material Term”, as used in the RTA, is a term going to the root of the relationship and the tenancy agreement. Landlords and tenants may agree to any term they wish, as long as it is not unconscionable or contrary to the RTA. Terms contrary to the RTA may not be identified in some cases until dispute resolution, and a tenant is free to argue that a term violates the RTA and should, therefore, be void. The Arbitrator will take this into consideration when determining reasonableness. For more information, see RTB Policy Guidelines 8: Unconscionable and Material Terms.

Parties may write their own tenancy agreement with their own terms or may use a standard form tenancy agreement to which they can add their own extra terms. Parties may also adopt a lease in conformity with the Land Transfer Form Act, RSBC 1996, c 252, p 2.

In B.C., there is no law that prevents a landlord from prohibiting pets in rental units. ''RTA'', s 18 allows a tenancy agreement to include terms that prohibit pets or restrict the size, kind or number of pets a tenant may keep on the residential property. '''If the agreement is silent about pets, then the tenant should be able to obtain one.''' If a tenancy agreement doesn’t allow pets and a tenant gets one anyway, the landlord can tell the tenant to remove it. If the tenant refuses, the landlord may be able to give an effective eviction notice. ''RTA'', s 18 is subject to the rights and restrictions under the ''Guide Dog and Service Dog Act'', SBC 2015, c 17, s 3, which states that landlords must not deny tenancy or impose discriminatory terms on a person with a disability who intends to keep a guide dog in the rental unit.

'''f) Prescribed Terms'''

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'''i) Rent Increases for Additional Occupants'''

*If a tenancy agreement entered into prior to legalization included a “no smoking” clause and did not explicitly allow for smoking cannabis, then the “no smoking” clause is deemed to apply to smoking cannabis. This also applies to any clauses that restrict or regulates smoking. (''RTA'' s 21.1 (2))   

::(1) For the purpose of ''RTA'' s 21.1 (2), vaporizing a substance containing cannabis is not “smoking cannabis.”  

::(2) growing the plants is not contrary to a term of the tenancy agreement, AND

::(3) the tenant is authorized under applicable federal law to grow the plants in or on the residential property and the tenant is in compliance with the requirements under that law with respect to the medical cannabis.

:'''NOTE:'''  The RTA allows for landlords and tenants to agree upon terms in new tenancy agreements as long as they do not violate the RTA.