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.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
New guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular, advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
Mounties are asking the public for help finding a 30-year-old woman missing in Nanaimo, B.C. Police say Samantha Evans has not been heard from since Jan. 11. Her family contacted the Nanaimo RCMP one week later and a missing person's investigation was launched on Jan. 18.
The Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland has been shut down, West Edmonton Mall announced on Monday. The redevelopment of the area is already underway, and the roller coaster is being decommissioned and removed.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police say he caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to an Edmonton Transit Bus and threatened a female passenger, acts that drew condemnation from Alberta's premier.
A Toronto passenger said her Sunwing Airlines flight was unforgettable as she recounted the moments after the pilot shut down the plane’s engine mid-flight to Montego Bay on Friday.
The Farmers' Almanac just revealed its spring 2023 forecast and Ontario, along with much of the rest of Canada, is expected to see a “turbulent transition to warmth,” the agency predicts.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived -- straightforward. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84. Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks before a jump to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, a move that led to lawsuits but ultimately higher salaries for hockey players.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson promoted four backbenchers from suburban Winnipeg areas to her inner circle Monday in a cabinet shuffle eight months out from an election.
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
The Maidstone RCMP are looking for a suspect following the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the dressing room at the Lashburn Sportsplex on Sunday afternoon.
The Maidstone RCMP are looking for a suspect following the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the dressing room at the Lashburn Sportsplex on Sunday afternoon.
A new grant program announced by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Grey Cup Festival Volunteer Host Organizing Committee will support provincial programs around the province directed at youth, healthy lifestyles and mental health, the team said in a news release.
The grisly aftermath of an alleged fatal shooting was described today during the murder trial of a former medical student accused of killing a fellow student in Halifax seven years ago.
Police are investigating the sudden deaths of two people in Saint John, N.B. The Saint John Police Force responded to a medical assistance call at a home on Red Head Road shortly after 8 a.m. Monday.
A person has been charged following the death of a pedestrian in a crash last week. As previously reported by CTV News, a pedestrian was struck by a car near Hamilton Road and Watmar Avenue on Jan. 24.
Police in St. Thomas, Ont. are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who they allege participated in a violent home invasion over the weekend.
Two people discovered asleep in a vehicle in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 30 were found with weapons and more than $175,000 in illegal drugs, Sault police said Monday.
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
The Waterloo Fire Department is crediting a working carbon monoxide (CO) detector for potentially helping to save the lives of two people early Sunday morning.
A person signs a document in this undated stock image. (Credit: Shutterstock)
