Among the hundreds of millions of dollars allocated in the NDP government’s budget update last week is a $7-million boost over three years to the Residential Tenancy Branch. From a big-picture perspective, it might not seem like a large sum, and it’s likely not enough, but it’s welcome nonetheless.
The RTB administers the laws regarding rentals of homes and apartments. It stands up for renters’ rights and mediates landlord-tenant disputes.
But the agency is stretched thin. It has been wrestling with staff shortages even as calls to the branch have risen by 20 per cent over two years, a result of higher prices and the housing shortage. It didn’t help that the former B.C. Liberal government trimmed the branch’s budget slightly in February.
The tenancy branch has regulations that set out timelines for such things as eviction notices, appeals and enforcement of orders. For instance, if a landlord gives a tenant a 30-day notice for eviction, the tenant has 10 days to file for a dispute resolution.
But the tenancy branch has such a huge backlog of cases that non-profit groups are stepping in to assist low-income renters.
Among those helping is Marie-Noel Campbell, a Vancouver lawyer who provides, without charge, assistance to people having rental issues.
“Everyone [at the tenancy branch] is trying to do their best,” Campbell told the Vancouver Sun. “But they’re overwhelmed, it’s clear. So we need to step up to the plate.”
In a tight rental market — Victoria’s vacancy rate is about 0.5 per cent — an eviction notice can be a major crisis for an individual or family. It’s vital to all concerned that disputes be resolved quickly and not drag on for months because there aren’t enough inspectors and arbitrators.
When an apartment or a townhouse can be snapped up within minutes of being put on the market, renters are at the mercy of landlords, who are often portrayed as the villains in tenancy controversies.
But the tenancy branch is also a resource for those who own rental properties. The law lays out the procedures for dealing with the tenants from hell, those who trash the property or don’t pay the rent.
Even so, evicting a deadbeat renter is no easy thing. The process can tie up the property for weeks or months, during which time the owner loses income, making it more difficult to meet tax or mortgage obligations.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2011 National Housing Survey, 59 per cent of Victorians were renters. In Esquimalt, 51 per cent of the housing was renter-occupied. In the core municipalites of the Capital Regional District, 34 per cent of homes were renter-occupied. The 2016 housing survey statistics have not been released yet, but they will undoubtedly show a rise in the proportion of renters to homeowners in the region.
In light of this trend, the workload of the Residential Tenancy Branch will only increase for the foreseeable future.
The $7-million budget increase allotted for the branch will mean, among other things, 30 new staff to work on the backlog and handle disputes.
It’s a modest amount, and the agency could probably use more, but at least it gives a little more support to an agency that acts in the interests of a significant percentage of the population.
