A BC landlord who told a renter, “See you in court,” ended up getting sued herself.
The landlord, Yanqiu Sun, faced off against the renter, Yiran Li, in a BC Civil Resolution Tribunal dispute for a security deposit because Sun refused to return it.
Sun says Li damaged things and failed to clean them when they moved out.
Meanwhile, Li says that the $375 security deposit she paid must be doubled and reimbursed due to a provision in the parties’ agreement.
Li’s tenancy began on September 6, 2021, and the fixed term was set to end on April 30, 2022. After that, the tenancy would move to a month-to-month agreement.
Rent was $750 per month with a $375 security deposit. In June 2022, Sun told Li she needed the room for a family member, and Li moved out on July 31, 2022.
Sun was out of town in late July 2022. On July 30 that year, Li texted Sun that the first-floor bathroom where the cleaning products were stored was locked. Sun told Li not to worry and just said to wipe things down in her room and “I’ll take care of the floor when I get back to clean.”
Things regressed from there.
Sun emailed Li with photos of the alleged damage and asked her to repair it.
Sun said if Li refused, Sun would have it repaired and then said, “See you in court.”
According to the tribunal decision, the damage that Sun shared with the court was “mostly scuffs and scratches.”
“The damage is consistent with reasonable wear and tear, which the contract said Ms. Li was not responsible for. While photos show a dirty bathroom, it is not clear whether the bathroom was exclusively for Ms. Li,” the decision concluded.
Sun was ordered to pay Li more than the $750 damage deposit. Li received $946.99, which included the deposit and tribunal fees.
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