A BC renter was the subject of a legal dispute regarding unpaid rent, and they made some serious allegations about why they didn’t pay.
Doyinsola Agbaje told the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal that Kemi Bankole failed to pay rent in June 2023.
She asked the tribunal to order Bankole to pay $740.24 in unpaid rent and utilities.
In response and defence, Bankole denied owing anything. She added that she was forced to move out because the living situation was “hostile.”
Bankole also filed a counterclaim, which included $186.66 for being overcharged for rent, $500 for false representation, and $523.34 for the rent she had to pay at a new residence. She also asked the tribunal for compensation of $500 for “her mental and emotional harm” and $46.76 for lost wages due to “false imprisonment” by another person named in the case, Nneoma Chiakwelu, who was one of Bankole’s roommates.
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According to the tribunal decision available online, in late 2022, Agbaje was going to leave the province, so she decided to sublet her room to Bankole. Bankole asked for a written contract, which didn’t include the monthly rent rate but stated it would be the same as the master lease: $700 per month plus utilities. The agreement lasted between October 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.
Bankole moved out on May 31, 2023, without providing notice. She claimed she moved out because of her roommates’ “abusive, harassing, and intimidating conduct.”
The tribunal had evidence that in March, April and May 2023, the roommates were often in conflict, sometimes to a degree that involved the police.
Bankole argued that this invalidated the rental contract, but the tribunal said renting the room “was not conditional upon being compatible with her roommates.”
Bankole texted Agbaje that she was moving on May 31, 2023, and Agbaje responded “okay.”
She followed up by saying that Bankole had to pay June’s rent. The tribunal agreed and ordered Bankole to pay $740.24 for unpaid rent and utilities.
When it comes to Bankole’s claims of false imprisonment, she did provide evidence, which included video.
Bankole said that one day in May 2023, when she was trying to go to work, she was “held hostage” by Chiakwelu. Bankole claims that Chiakwelu was sitting in a chair blocking an exit door. Other evidence she provided included a text to her workplace saying she would be 30 minutes late. In another text, she reported being held hostage to Agbaje, who had “already heard about it from Ms. Chiakwelu.”
Sadly for Bankole, she could not prove damages for her numerous claims, and the tribunal dismissed them.
Ultimately, Bankole was ordered to pay Agbaje $911.10 due to the BC tribunal dispute, including unpaid rent, utilities, and tribunal fees.