Housing and Tenant’s Rights
Residential Tenancy Branch – The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) oversees the relationship between landlords and tenants and is responsible for the administration of the Residential Tenancy Act and the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act. As well, it provides dispute resolutions services, and enforcement orders. The Compliance and Enforcement Unit conducts investigations of repeated or serious non-compliance with tenancy.
Their hours are 9 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday, except on the last Wednesday of the month when the office is open 11 am to 4 pm.
Tenants’ Resource and Advisory Centre – Tenants’ Resource and Advisory Centre, or TRAC is a non-profit organization that provides free legal education, representation, and advocacy on residential tenancy matters. On their site, there is a resource page where you can find template letters to use for a variety of needs, such as “Notice to Vacate,” and “Roommate Agreement.” There is a plethora of information to navigate and help understand your rights as a tenant.
Tenant Survival Guide – The Tenant Survival Guide is a Clicklaw Wikibook put out by TRAC and available for free online. It provides basic education on residential tenancy law in British Columbia. It is also available in PDF form for easy printout.
Places to contact when looking for housing
BC Housing – BC Housing develops, manages and administers a wide range of subsidized housing options across the province. BC Housing is a place to go to when you need help finding things such as subsidized housing, housing for homeless people, and women’s transition housing.
Co-op Housing Federation of BC The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) is made up of member housing co-ops and associated organizations across British Columbia. They have a list of co-op housing across the province.
Emergency housing
North Shore Emergency Shelter: Lookout Society
705 West 2nd Street, North Vancouver, BC, V7M 1E6
P. 604-982-9126 nsshelter@lookoutsociety.ca
Additional sites of interest
Moving Around in BC – Address Change Service – If you are moving within British Columbia, you can use Address Change BC to update your personal and/or business records with provincial and local government organization.
BC Hydro – Here you can find out how to cancel or transfer your BC Hydro.
