Rental properties should be cared for by tenants and maintained by landlords. The Rental Property Standards of Maintenance Bylaw (RPSOM) sets out minimum standards for rental housing to ensure the quality, safety, and livability of rental units.
The RPSOM Bylaw is enforced through the Residential Tenancy Branch's dispute resolution process. The Non-emergency Repairs section below outlines how to initiate the process.
If you have questions about the bylaw or need support, please contact the City's Tenant Assistance Planner.
Some roles and responsibilities for landlords and tenants are detailed below:
Landlords:
Tenants:
Inside the Unit:
Heating, hot water, plumbing, and electricity, (cooling is not covered by the RTA)
Locks and keys
Insect and pest infestations
Painting at reasonable intervals
Serious mold issues
Walls, floors and ceilings
Items included in tenancy agreement (e.g. appliances)
Inside the Unit:
General unit cleanliness and maintenance of carpets
Removal of garbage from the rental unit
Replacing light bulbs and standard fuses (i.e. stove)
Minor mold issues
Wiping or vacuuming baseboards and baseboard heaters to remove dust and dirt
Steam cleaning or shampooing carpets at the end of a tenancy if one year or longer (if the tenant has pets or has smoked on the premises carpet cleaning or shampooing must be completed regardless of tenancy length)
Repairing excessive damage from nail holes and cleaning marks on the walls (not responsible for reasonable wear and tear from normal usage over time such as faded paint on the walls, worn carpet or tiles, minor scuff marks on floorboards)
In the Building:
Fire doors, fire escapes and smoke detectors
Elevators
Access devices and intercoms
Light fixtures in common areas
In the Building:
Tenants are not responsible for building maintenance
On the Property:
Routine yard maintenance in apartment buildings (i.e., cutting grass)
Tree cutting and pruning routinely cleaning the outside of windows at reasonable intervals
*Under the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA), landlords must ensure that a rental unit complies with all health, housing, and safety standards.
On the Property:
Tenants are not responsible for building maintenance
Emergency Repairs
Not all repairs are emergencies. To be considered an emergency, repairs must be: 1) Urgent; 2) Necessary for the health or safety of people or property; and 3) Relate to issues such as: • Major leaks in pipes or the roof • Damaged or blocked water or sewer pipes or plumbing fixtures • Primary heating system issues • Damaged or defective locks that give access to a rental unit • Electrical system issues
Repairs that do not meet all three criteria are not considered an emergency.
A step-by-step guide for emergency and non-emergency repairs are detailed below.
1. Take action to stop source of damage to prevent further impacts (e.g., turn off water if there is a pipe leak and dry area).
2. Notify your landlord or property manager immediately (you should have a 24-hour emergency contact number).
Make two attempts to phone them at the emergency contact provided
Allow a reasonable amount of time to pass
3. If a reasonable time has passed and there is no response after two attempts, you can arrange to have the repairs done at reasonable cost.
If you pay for repair, your landlord is required to reimburse you after you submit your receipts and a written summary of what happened.
If you do not have money or time to get repair done, you can apply for dispute resolution through the participatory hearing process.
If the repair is urgent to safety and security, you can apply for dispute resolution through the expedited hearing process to be reimbursed for the repair or to request an emergency repair order.
Notify your landlord right away in writing of issue and ask landlord for repair or maintenance:
Propose a reasonable date by which you would like repairs done.
Document all communication with landlord.
2. The RPSOM Bylaw is enforced through the Residential Tenancy Branch's dispute resolution process. If your landlord does not respond to the repair request, inform them in writing that you are taking the issue to RTB for dispute resolution. Note: Tenants need landlord’s agreement in writing if they want to make repairs themselves and charge the landlord for the costs.
3. File RTB Dispute Resolution application with all documentation of communication with landlord. Through Dispute Resolution, tenants can request:
An order for the repairs to be made
Money to cover the inconvenience
For information on filing for dispute resolution and other legal inquiries, contact the Provincial Government’s Residential Tenancy Branch.
