The province noted in a release that the change will align the notice period requirements for landlords with recent amendments requiring homebuyers to give tenants three months’ notice of eviction.
B.C. has also announced that the province's Residential Tenancy Branch will publish outcomes of monetary orders on issues such as non-payment of rent or utilities and penalties issued against a landlord to ensure greater transparency.
“[W]e’re introducing more measures to ensure landlords and renters receive additional supports, can continue to build strong partnerships, and have confidence they’ll be able to get advice and resolve disputes in a timely manner, should issues ever arise,” B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said in an April 8 release.
The province said that a $15.6 million expenditure aimed at enhancing services in the Residential Tenancy Branch has helped reduce wait times for renters and landlords by an average of 70 per cent since November 2022.
“Instead of waiting nearly three months for a hearing to resolve disputes for unpaid rent and utilities, these hearings are being heard in approximately a month. Among Canada’s provinces and territories, B.C. is now a national leader for low wait times for dispute-resolution hearings,” the release noted.
The province has also reduced the duration for which landlords are required to store property abandoned by renters from 60 days to 30 days. The amendments will also increase the minimum dollar value of property that a landlord will be required to store from $500 to $1,000.
The province noted that this change aligns B.C. with the approach taken by other provinces.
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