The British Columbia agency tasked with adjudicating disputes between tenants and landlords and enforcing rental laws is getting a major funding boost.
B.C.’s new Ministry of Housing announced up to $15.6 million over three years for the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) Tuesday.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the funding amounts to a 40-per cent boost to the agency’s operating budget, and will allow the RTB to hire as many as 50 new full-time staff.
The new resources are aimed at cutting long backlogs in dispute resolution, and double the size of the RTB’s Compliance Enforcement Unit. The unit, which was created in 2019, investigates complaints and targets repeat or serious tenancy offences like illegal evictions.
“Renters and landlords have been clear that the current residential tenancy dispute resolution process isn’t working fast enough to address their needs,” Kahlon said.
“We hear you and we are taking action to speed up service and strengthen enforcement to address things like repeat or serious offences like illegal evictions, so renters and landlords can get the fair treatment and timely support they deserve.”
The ministry says the larger CEU will be able to intervene earlier, protecting renters while taking stress off the system by potentially averting the need for hearings or arbitration.
According to the ministry, the RTB gets an estimated 200,000 calls for information and more than 20,000 applications for dispute resolutions every year.
However, it says the number of applications is climbing, and is up 21 per cent since 2018. This year, it received more than 1,800 applications per month, compared to fewer than 1,500 per month between 2018 and 2020.
“This additional support for the RTB will mean that tenants whose landlords are ignoring the law can have their urgent concerns addressed sooner,” Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) lawyer Robert Patterson said.
“TRAC hopes that adding more staff will mean not only that tenants’ cases will be heard more quickly, but also that arbitrators will have the time and support they need to give well-reasoned decisions.”
David Hutniak, CEO of LandlordBC also praised the additional resources.
“Not only will this new investment alleviate financial concerns for landlords by allowing them to solve rental disputes faster, but it will also ensure that their unit is available to provide housing to people in B.C. at a time when it’s needed most,” he said.
“We are pleased to see this government take action to resolve a process they recognize isn’t working. We look forward to continuing to work alongside them to create better solutions for landlords and renters in our province.”
The ministry said it is also working on revamping the dispute resolution process to make them easier to navigate and to allow more opportunity for early intervention, along with improvements to its online service portal.
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