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What are my legal rights as a tenant?

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Reviewed by
Nov 3, 2021

As a tenant, you have both legal rights and responsibilities. In BC, the rules about the rights and responsibilities of residential tenants and landlords can be found in the Residential Tenancy Act and Residential Tenancy Regulation. The Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) is the government office that helps with problems between landlords and tenants. RTB staff provide information about the law to tenants and landlords in BC. The RTB also holds dispute resolution hearings for landlords and tenants when they cannot settle disputes on their own.

The Tenant Resources and Advisory Centre (TRAC) provides a range of information related to renting, tenant disputes and issues with landlords. There is a Renting It Right online course that provides free information for tenants. TRAC also publishes the Tenant Survival Guide that covers a range of renting issues.