Landlords

As a landlord, you are responsible for the actions of your rental tenants in a privately owned building.  If your tenants become a nuisance to surrounding suites (such as pulling the fire alarm switches creating false alarms), or have been caught destroying property, the strata council will bill all costs back to the owner for repairs or other costs incurred to evict disruptive tenants.

Landlords are encouraged to inspect their tenanted suites regularly.

As part of Fortune House's maintenance program, an inspection technician enters each suite a few times per year to perform routine inspections and preventive maintenance of the fire alarm systems and other building systems. While the purpose of these inspections is certainly not to spy on residents, it has been unavoidable to notice the state of disrepair and the overcrowding in several tenanted suites.

Absentee landlords, particularly ones that use the services of an agent, might be very surprised to learn that several people are occupying their suite without their knowledge. In some cases suites are even being “sublet” without the owner’s agreement or knowledge.

Overcrowding wears down your suite, puts your investment at risk and affects the quality of life of every resident at Fortune House. You are also susceptible to heavy fines if in breach of occupancy bylaws.

The BC Residential Tenancy Act is clear: landlords are free to conduct monthly inspections of their suite if these conditions are met:

• the tenant is at home and agrees to let the landlord in, or
• the tenant agreed, not more than 30 days before, to let the landlord enter , or
• if the tenant does not voluntarily agree to let the landlord enter, the tenant is given at least 24hrs written notice stating the purpose for entering.

Your strata council strongly encourages every owner to inspect their tenanted suites on a regular basis: being a pro-active landlord will protect your investment.

Read more about landlord access to tenanted suites by clicking here

It is highly encouraged that each non resident owner join BCOMA for access to tenancy applications forms, agreements and condition inspection reports, receipt books and copies of the Residential Tenancy Act, Regulations and Policy Guidelines and access to approximately 30 types of forms are available to help make your job easier and compliant with renting in Vancouver.

Credit Checks

The screening process for locating good tenants has become so important with the rise of marijuana grow operations and other problems in the community. BCOMA, in partnership with TVS (Tenant Verification Service Inc)., provides a credit check service seven days a week which gives you valuable information on a prospective tenants complete credit history. Also included is information on outstanding debts to past owners provided from a delinquent tenant list. Click here to register online with TVS. Note: make certain to advise TVS of your BCAOMA membership number in order to receive a discount.

Did you know?

FAILURE by the landlord to offer and participate in a condition inspection and give a copy of the inspection report to the tenant will result in the landlord losing any right to claim against the tenant's security Deposit and/or pet damage deposit.

FAILURE by the tenant to participate in a condition inspection will result in the tenant forfeiting the security deposit and/or pet damage deposit.

Rentals

• Currently, there are no rental restrictions in the building.  Please note that this is constantly revisited due to the high number of rental suites in the building, and the problems associated with renters and poor landlords.

• The Strata Council will heavily enforce all Strata Rules and Bylaws against poorly behaved rental units.

• Non-resident Owners are advised that the Strata Council has already evicted tenants.  

• In an effort to curb potential rental problems with poor tenants or landlords, Council has decided to formally name in the minutes from the strata meetings the problem units.  Please note that if your unit / tenants appear in the minutes more than 3 times, Strata Council will proceed with  eviction notice against the strata lot / tenants at the owners expense.

• It is not enough to rent the unit, collect the rent, and take no further interest.  If you are non-resident Owner, please keep in close contact with your tenants to ensure that all is in order. 

• If you are planning to purchase a unit for investment or for rental, please make sure that you screen your tenants and fill out the proper forms

• Strata Council has discussed at length the fact that there are numerous units in the building which in the past have caused significant disturbances to other tenants.  Council approved a letter, which was mailed to all Owners, which will discuss details of the rental situation, and emphasize to all non-resident Owners that they are 100% responsible for any an all actions of their tenants.  It cannot be emphasized strongly enough that, if you are renting your unit, to please take the time to ensure that you find the best renters possible. 

• Strata Council would highly encourage all landlords to perform a credit check on all rental tenants and perform unit inspections.