Tenants in British Columbia: Rights and Responsibilities

You have rights to privacy, repairs and peaceful living. You also need to pay rent, care for your home and follow your tenancy agreement.

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What can you expect from your landlord, and what can your landlord expect from you? As a tenant in British Columbia, you deserve a safe and comfortable home, with rights to peaceful living, privacy and repairs. You also have responsibilities: paying rent, caring for the property and following your tenancy agreement. The distinction matters because maintaining a rental home involves both parties. Your landlord is responsible for its state of repair and essential services. You are responsible for keeping it clean and sanitary, taking reasonable care of it and reporting damage beyond normal wear and tear [6]. Your Rights as a Tenant Quiet enjoyment means freedom from unreasonable disturbances and the ability to live in peace in your rental unit [2]. Your tenancy agreement may also set rules about noise. You have a right to peaceful living and a responsibility to respect those rules. Repairs and maintenance are your landlord's responsibility. The rental unit must be kept in a good state of repair, with essential services such as heat and plumbing maintained [6]. Keeping the unit clean is your responsibility; maintaining those essential services is your landlord's. Security of tenure me