British Columbia Newcomers' Guide
to Resources and Services

Finding a Place to Live

In this chapter:

• Types of housing
• Renting
• Moving in
• Problems
• Moving out
• Buying a house

Types of housing

An apartment or suite usually has one or more bedrooms. All apartments and suites have a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. Suites for rent may be in an apartment building or in a house. Studios or bachelor suites have one room with a kitchen area and a bathroom.

A duplex is a house divided into two separate apartments. It may be bought or rented.

A townhouse is a small house joined to other small houses. It may be bought or rented.

An apartment building has one owner for the whole building. In a condominium ("condo" or "strata") building, each apartment is owned by one person or family.

A mobile home can be moved from one place to another. It is usually cheaper to buy than a house. You must also buy or rent the land to put a mobile home on.

A room for rent is usually in a shared house or apartment. Everyone shares the kitchen and bathroom.

Room and board means a room and meals. Furniture is included.

Housing cooperatives ("co-ops") and some non-profit groups also provide low-cost housing. There is a waiting list for these places. For information on co-ops on the mainland, call the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C., Suite 200 – 5550 Fraser Street, Vancouver, B.C. V5W 2Z4, telephone 604 879-5112 or call 1-800-879-5111. Website: http://www.chf.bc.ca. For information on co-ops on Vancouver Island, call the Vancouver Island Co-op Housing office at 250 384-9444.

B.C. Housing, a government agency, can help low-income people apply for low-cost rental housing. B.C. Housing manages some of this housing. Non-profit and co-op groups manage most low-cost housing.

To apply for this low-cost housing, you must live in B.C. You should apply to B.C. Housing and other housing groups. There is a waiting list for these homes. This housing is offered first to people in the greatest need.

To find out if you qualify for low-cost housing and to apply, call B.C. Housing at 604 433-2218 in Vancouver. Elsewhere in British Columbia, call 1-800-257-7756. Website: http://www.bchousing.org. B.C. Housing has information available in English, Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Where to look for housing

• Look in the Classified Ads in the newspaper.
• Look for "Vacancy" or "For Rent" signs on houses and apartment buildings.
• Look for ads on notice boards. Many places such as community centres, grocery stores, and laundromats have notice boards.
• If you live in a community with a Housing Registry, they are a good place to get information. Look in the Blue Pages of the telephone book in the "Municipalities" section under "Housing."

Discrimination

A landlord cannot refuse to rent a place to people because of their race, skin colour, age, birthplace, ancestry, religion, sex, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, disability or source of income. A landlord usually cannot refuse to rent to people because they have children. B.C. law says this is discrimination. A landlord can refuse to rent to pet owners and people who smoke.

If you have a problem with discrimination, call the B.C. Human Rights Coalition, the Tenants' Rights Action Coalition, or the B.C. Human Rights Commission/Tribunal (see page 31, and the listings at the end of this chapter).

Finding a place to live

When you find a place you like, ask these questions:

How much is the rent?
You usually pay rent on the first day of each month. The landlord can raise your rent only once a year, and only by a certain amount. The landlord must give you notice in writing three months before the rent is increased.

Are utilities included in the rent, or do I have to pay for them?
Utilities are electricity, gas, or oil (for cooking and heating). Sometimes you have to pay for utilities. Sometimes the landlord includes them in the rent. Ask the landlord about this.

How much is the security deposit?
You usually have to pay some extra money – not more than half of one month's rent – when you move in. The landlord  keeps this money until you move out. Some of this money may be used to pay for any damage you do. If you do no damage, and clean the apartment well when you move out, the landlord must give you back all the money, plus interest. They must do this within 15 days. If there are any deductions you must agree to them in writing.

Tenancy agreement

When you agree to rent a house or apartment, you and the landlord are making a contract. It is called a tenancy agreement. It should be a written agreement. Your tenancy agreement gives you the rules for renting your home.

The law says that landlords and tenants have certain rights and certain things they each must do. A tenancy agreement cannot change the law.

For information on a landlord's or tenant's rights and responsibilities, contact the Residential Tenancy Office, listed in the Blue Pages of the telephone book in the Government of B.C. section. The office can also help solve disagreements between landlords and tenants. In Vancouver, call 604 660-3456. In Victoria, call 250 387-1602. In Kelowna, call 250 717-2000. Elsewhere in B.C., call 1-800-665-8779. Website: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/rto/

Moving in

What if you have to pay for utilities such as telephone and hydro (electricity) and gas? Then you have to get these connected. The cost of this is usually included in the first month's bill. To get these services, phone B.C. Hydro, B.C. Gas, or the company that provides oil or gas in your community. Look in the White Pages to find B.C. Hydro and B.C. Gas. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Oils – Fuel and Heating."

To get your telephone connected, call the B.C. telephone company (called "Telus"). Look in the first pages of your phone book.

In most cities and towns, mail is delivered to your house or apartment building. If you live in an area without home delivery, call Canada Post at 1-800-267-1177 to get a community mail box.

Garbage

Garbage is picked up once a week in most cities and towns. There may be a rule about how much garbage you can put out. In many areas, people put things such as bottles, cans, and newspapers in special boxes. These are picked up for recycling. For information on garbage and recycling, call your city or town hall.

Repairs

What if the roof leaks or the toilet doesn't work or there is no hot water? The law says the landlord must make these repairs quickly. The landlord must post the name and phone number of an emergency contact who can make repairs.

When a tenant or a tenant's guests damage a rented house or apartment, the tenant must pay for the repairs.

Letting the landlord in

Unless it is an emergency, it is against the law for a landlord to enter your rented home without getting your permission. If the landlord has a good reason and tells the tenant 24 hours before, the landlord can enter.

Emergencies are different. If there is an emergency such as a fire or a broken water pipe, the landlord can come in without your permission.

Eviction

The landlord can tell a tenant to move out. This is called "eviction." The landlord must tell you in writing and give reasons. This is called "giving notice." If you do not agree with the reasons the landlord gives you, you can call the Residential Tenancy Branch, the Tenants' Rights Coalition, your local tenants group, or the Legal Services Society (see the chapter on "The Legal System").

B.C. cities and towns also have their own laws about health and building standards. Phone your city or town hall to talk about repair problems, such as no heat or no hot water.

When you move out

Give notice – When you plan to move out of a rented house or apartment, you must tell your landlord or manager in writing. This is called "giving notice." Give the notice to the landlord one month before you will move out. Do this by the last day of the month before you will move out. The first day of the month is too late!

Cleaning – You must clean your rented home before you move out. You must also clean the stove, fridge, bathrooms and light fixtures. Check your tenancy agreement to see if you must clean the carpets or drapes.

Cancel telephone and utilities – Call the telephone company to have the phone disconnected. If you do not do this, you may have to pay phone bills after you move out. If you pay for the electricity, gas, or oil, phone the companies and tell them to disconnect your service.

Change your address – Go to the post office and fill in a "change-of-address" card. The post office will send your mail from the old address to the new address. There is a fee for this service.

Give your new address to your bank, employer, school, medical plan, Motor Vehicle Branch, and cable TV company. Phone or mail them a change-of-address card. You can buy these cards at the post office.

Arrange for a moving company or rent a truck – A moving company will send a truck and people to move your things. Look in the Classified Ads in the newspaper or in the Yellow Pages under "Movers." You can also rent a truck or van and move the things yourself. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Truck Renting and Leasing."

Buying a house

To buy a house, call a real estate company. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Real Estate." Many community newspapers also have ads for houses for sale.

Many people pay a lawyer to help them with the papers to buy a house.

Most people borrow money from a bank, credit union, or trust company to buy a house. This is called a mortgage. Mortgage rates are not the same at all banks. Check around for the best mortgage you can get.

You have to pay tax when you buy a new house.

Insurance

You can buy insurance on your home and your belongings. The insurance company will pay for most of the costs of what you lose in a fire or robbery. Both home owners and tenants can buy insurance. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Insurance Agents and Brokers."

Where to go for help

Tenants' Rights Action Coalition
Lower Mainland Tenants' Rights Information Line
Vancouver area: Tel: 604 255-0546
Outside of the Lower Mainland
Tel: 1-800-665-1185
Website: http://www.tenants.bc.ca/

Residential Tenancy Branch
Victoria, Tel: 250 387-1602
Website: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/rto/

B.C. Human Rights Coalition
1202 - 510 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1L8
Tel: 604 689-8474
Fax: 604 689-7511
Toll Free: 1-877-689-8474
Website: http://www.bchrcoalition.org

B.C. Human Right Tribunal
Suite 1170 - 605 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3
Tel: 604.775.2000
Toll Free in BC: 1.888.440.8844
Fax: 604.775.2020
tty: 604.775.2021
Website: http://www.bchrt.gov.bc.ca

Go to next page: Chapter 7, Finding a Job

Return to main page.