B.C. landlord loses bid to evict renter over $3K in unpaid utilities
B.C. landlord loses bid to evict renter over $3K in unpaid utilities
A person signs a document in this undated stock image. (Credit: Shutterstock)
A landlord's attempt to evict a renter from a home in B.C.'s Lower Mainland over thousands of dollars in unpaid utilities has been rejected due to vague wording in their tenancy agreement.
The dispute is outlined in an arbitration decision from the province's Residential Tenancy Branch, which shares the outcomes online as a resource for other landlords and renters but does not publish names or any other identifying information.
In this case, which was heard over the summer, the landlord presented six utility bills from the City of Richmond, along with a letter delivered to the tenant in April 2022 demanding payment for three-quarters of the total amount owed – which came to just under $3,000.
When the tenant didn't pony up the cash, the landlord issued a 10-day eviction notice the following month.
B.C.'s Residential Tenancy Act allows landlords to treat unpaid utilities as unpaid rent, which can be grounds for an eviction in some circumstances – but the arbitrator found the conditions weren't quite met in this case.
The decision noted that the tenancy agreement between the landlord and renter "states the utilities are the tenant's responsibility, but does not indicate whether the tenant is to put the utilities in their own name or pay the utilities to the landlord."
"For this reason, I find the landlord did not have the authority … to issue a 10-day notice for unpaid utilities."
The landlord also tried to recover the $100 fee paid when filing the dispute, but that was denied as well.
While the tenant was allowed to remain at the home, the arbitrator did offer the landlord a chance to re-apply for an order seeking payment of the unpaid utilities.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
The federal government has set aside billions of dollars to quickly build affordable housing across the country, but delays in construction suggest many of the projects approved for funding are missing their deadlines.
When President Joe Biden signed a bill last year to fight gun violence -- the first such measure to pass Congress in a generation -- a substantial majority supported it. But 78 per cent said they believed it would do little or nothing at all, a survey by the Pew Research Center found.
The Memphis police chief on Saturday disbanded the unit whose officers beat to death Tyre Nichols as the nation and the city struggled to come to grips with video showing police pummelling the Black motorist.
After years of reports and allegations detailing a 'toxic' workplace, Canada's RCMP says it is trying to evolve, focusing on diversity in its organization and repairing relationships with communities as it marks its 150th anniversary.
When 1990s suede fringe jackets started making a comeback last year, a U.K.-based vintage clothing company decided to order four tonnes of suede from a supplier in the United States. Along with that shipment came a once-in-a lifetime discovery.
When the cold and snow have people hunkering down, these outdoor enthusiasts find motivation in braving the Canadian winter through community and sport.
Tyre Nichols' fatal encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tenn., recorded in video made public Friday night, is a glaring reminder that efforts to reform policing have failed to prevent more flashpoints in an intractable epidemic of brutality.
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.
The Hitmen return to the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex helped a little as the team collected a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Saskatoon Blades Saturday afternoon on Tsuut'ina Nation.
An organization helping Ukrainian newcomers settle into their new lives in Edmonton is hosting a furniture donation blitz to help restock their warehouse.
Canadian police chiefs condemned on Friday the death of a Black man who was savagely beaten by police during a traffic stop in the United States, saying the officers involved must be held accountable.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
Late Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion is being remembered for the many ways she contributed to not only to the city she led for 36 years, but also the province.
Anti-poverty activists are praising the Quebec basic income program as a good step toward helping people meet their basic needs — but say strict eligibility criteria exclude many of the province’s lowest-income residents.
Some Indigenous communities in Quebec that are patrolled by provincial police say the established system does not fully meet security needs and needs improvement.
A ceremony will be held this evening to mark the sixth anniversary of Quebec City's deadly mosque shooting. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, several senior federal cabinet ministers and Quebec Premier Francois Legault are among those expected to attend.
As extreme cold weather brings wind chill values nearing -40°C, it's impacting everything from winter recreation to the city's most vulnerable population.
Some faculty members at Cape Breton University have walked off the job. Their strike started Friday, with the faculty's union saying the administration has disrespected it at every turn, leading to a large number of labour grievances.
Seven London Fire Department vehicles, including an aerial unit, responded to an alarm at in the city’s northeast end Sunday. Just before 8 a.m., dispatchers were alerted to a structure fire at Zucora Home on Clarke Road, north of Dundas Street.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
The supporters outnumbered the protesters more than 20-to-one. As drag queen Amanda Villa prepared to sing and read to children in Sarnia, a small group of protesters marched outside, while more than 100 supporters of the rally “All You Need is Love” spent time chasing them around the parking lot, and having peaceful discussions about acceptance and hate.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos insists the federal government is going to 'work flexibly' with the provinces on the terms of a possible health-care funding deal and avoid 'micromanaging' how they deliver health care to Canadians.
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
The Region of Waterloo has lost a court bid for an injunction to evict residents of an encampment on municipally owned land at Victoria Street North and Weber Street West in Kitchener.
A drag queen show in Elora will continue Saturday night as planned, despite organizers saying concerns were raised after online comments targeted the event.
With art displays and activities to bring out the best of winter for a one-day festival of fun, Winterloo has returned after three years of pandemic alterations.
A person signs a document in this undated stock image. (Credit: Shutterstock)
