At a glance (3 minute read)
- BC landlords must use the Landlord Use Web Portal to create personal or caretaker use eviction notices starting July 18, 2024 and must include information on who is moving in.
- Other changes to the personal or caretaker use eviction rules include a four-month notice period, 30-day dispute window, mandatory 12-month occupancy, and higher penalties for bad-faith evictions.
- The portal aims to protect tenants from false evictions and provide a transparent process, with data used for better regulation and support for renters and landlords.
New rules around evictions require BC landlords looking to evict tenants for personal or caretaker use to use a new website to create Notices to End Tenancy started July 18, 2024.
The Landlord Use Web Portal requires landlords to provide detailed information when issuing these notices, allowing the government to monitor eviction patterns and enforce penalties for violations.
“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,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing in a statement. “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.”
Issuing a Notice to End Tenancy
If a landlord is looking to evict a tenant for personal occupancy or caretaker use on or after July 18, they will first need a Basic BCeID.
Using the Basic BCeID, they’ll be able to log into the web portal to generate a Notice to End Tenancy for personal occupancy or caretaker use and include information about the person or persons moving into the home.
The generated notice will include a unique ID.
The information entered into the portal will be used by the Rental Tenancy Branch (RTB) to track these types of evictions, and in post-eviction compliance audits.
New rules and a more standardized, streamlined process
Alongside the portal’s launch on July 18, the provincial government updated the rules around evictions for personal or caretaker use to streamline and standardize the process while making it more transparent.
Key changes include:
- Landlords must provide four months' notice for personal-use or caretaker evictions (previously two months)
- Tenants will have 30 days to dispute evictions (previously 15 days)
- The person moving into the unit must live there for at least 12 months
- Landlords evicting in bad faith may owe tenants 12 months' rent
What’s considered personal occupancy or caretaker use?
Under the Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord can evict a tenant for personal occupancy or caretaker use if the following people will be moving in:
- The owner/landlord
- Close family member (parent, spouse, or child)
- Purchaser of the property or a close family member of the purchaser
- Superintendent for the building
