"Trust was shattered": Vancouver renter claims he was duped with handwritten eviction notice

A Vancouver renter is seeking answers after an eviction and dispute with his former landlord.

Sandeep Bondili, who took his claim to Dispute Resolution Services through the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), shared his story with Daily Hive.

He claims the landlord told him one thing and ended up doing another.

The rental began on January 1, 2020, in an East Vancouver laneway house Bondili lived in with his partner and their baby.

Initially, Bondili was told that the landlord’s son was moving into the home.

He says his “trust was shattered” when he discovered the property was instead rented out to a niece.

“I even took photos with them on my last day as a token of goodwill.”

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In BC, a landlord must give a two-month notice to end the tenancy if a close family member is moving into a unit. However, close family only applies to a parent or child of a landlord. Siblings, or children of siblings, in this case, a niece, are not considered close family.

It’s a cautionary tale, as Bondili claims he did not receive an official notice but decided to move voluntarily out of respect.

Bondili had his RTB hearing on September 25, 2023.

“The Tenants stated that they received a handwritten note from the Landlord in June 2022,” reads the RTB ruling.

Unfortunately for Bondili, he could not provide a copy of the handwritten note at the time, as it had been misplaced during the move.

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Bondili did provide other evidence to the RTB, but it wasn’t sufficient enough for him to win his claim for compensation for being unfairly evicted.

The main issue was that even though there wasn’t a valid notice issued according to the RTB, Bondili chose to move anyway, which waived his rights to compensation.

He now pays $800 more in rent in a new place.

Besides losing his case, Bondili is upset because he feels misled by a landlord he trusted and had a good relationship with.

“I feel deeply disheartened as it seems like a victory for the landlord, who has managed to evade accountability,” Bondili told Daily Hive.

“Had RTB mentioned that if there was no eviction notice submitted, there was no point in putting an application in, I would’ve refrained from it. Because of them, I look like a fool because the landlords could get away with this.”

Daily Hive has attempted to contact Bondili’s former landlord but has not yet heard back.

Bondili understands that he didn’t have to vacate but did so anyway, considering his good relationship with the landlord.

He also thinks many others are likely being taken advantage of without provisions for such situations.

Have you ever found yourself in a rental situation or an eviction case like this in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments.