B.C. landlord loses bid to evict renter over $3K in unpaid utilities
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.