B.C. rental agreement sours after two weeks in deposit dispute
A B.C. rental agreement soured real quick, forcing a renter and landlord into a dispute at the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal.
According to the dispute decision, RN, the applicant, rented a room in RH’s home and moved in on Oct. 1, 2024.
The B.C. rental agreement between the parties had RN agreeing to pay $900 per month, including a $450 security deposit, but there was no formal written agreement.
By Oct. 14, 2024, RH, the respondent, was already asking RN to look for another place. RH told RN it was not working out.
By Nov. 1, 2024, RN was still living in the room, and an audio recording RN took from that date suggests she told RH she was actively looking for a new place.
On Nov. 4, 2024, RN began to live at a friend’s place, and both parties agreed that she had already moved all of her belongings out by then.
While RH claimed that RN didn’t pay rent for November, the tribunal found this was contradicted by a recording RH submitted, in which he didn’t mention anything about unpaid rent. The tribunal suggested he would have, if it were an issue.
RN argued that she was entitled to a rent refund, but the tribunal disagreed because she chose to voluntarily move out on Nov. 4.
RN had also made another claim about a room lock she purchased for $27.74 on Oct. 6. She claims that RH had damaged it when he entered her room without consent on Nov. 6 or Nov. 7. However, she had no evidence to prove her claim. She also claimed that it was unsafe for her to return to the home because RH had broken into her room.
The tribunal dismissed that claim because the ‘break-in’ would’ve happened after she voluntarily left.
RH wasn’t able to prove any reason he was entitled to keep the security deposit, so the tribunal ordered him to pay it back.
RH was ordered to pay RN $467.75, which included the deposit and interest.