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By Liam Verster

Avoiding Bad-Faith Evictions

More supports rolling out to protect renters, new tool coming online

Jul 3, 2024 | 1:12 PM

British Columbians renting their homes will be better protected from bad-faith evictions.

A new online portal will be launched on July 18, 2024, to protect renters from being evicted in bad faith, as well as bringing in improvements to the process for landlords.

“With this new tool, we’re taking action to better protect tenants from being evicted under false pretences and ensure that landlords who need to legitimately reclaim their units have a straightforward pathway to do so,” Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon said.

“The portal will also provide government with a window to better understand when and how often these evictions occur so that we can continue to build on our work to improve services for renters and landlords.”

The province said there are reasons to terminate a tenancy, such as a new owner moving into their home, but there are still cases of bad-faith actors who terminate a tenancy just so the unit can be rented out at a higher rate.

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To reduce the risk of those types of evictions, landlords will be required to use the Landlord Use Web Portal to generate Notices to End Tenancy for personal occupancy or caretaker use starting July 18. Those notices will need to include information about the persons moving into the home.

Under the Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord can evict a tenant if they or a close family member is moving into the unit; if the purchaser of the property or a close family member of the purchaser is moving in; or if the building’s superintendent is moving into the unit. The person who moves into the unit must occupy the space for a minimum of 12 months.

With the implementation of the new online tool, the province will also increase the amount of notice a tenant must receive before an eviction from the current two months to a total of four months. The province’s window to dispute Notices to End Tenancy will also increase from 15 to 30 days.

“Protecting a landlord’s right to reclaim a rental unit for personal use is critical to maintaining a balanced rental housing market,” David Hutniak, CEO of LandlordBC, said.

“It is also important that landlords know their responsibilities when exercising this right and that they understand the risks of bad-faith evictions. The Landlord Use Web Portal will not only educate landlords about the process, but it will also standardize the process for improved efficiency while increasing transparency.”

The portal will also outline penalties a landlord could face if it’s found they evicted a tenant in bad faith.