As a landlord, you will need to familiarize yourself with a number of tenancy forms in order to effectively manage and operate your residential rental properties. Beginning with the Residential Tenancy Agreement form but also the Condition Inspection Report and the Dispute Resolution form, these documents will ensure you are performing your landlord duties in accordance with the laws of British Columbia.
Below, we shed some light on the various forms needed to own and manage rental properties.
Tenancy forms refer to all official documentation exchanged during a tenancy arrangement between a landlord or property manager and a tenant(s).
What are the different tenancy forms in BC?
Form #1 – Residential Tenancy Agreement
The Residential Tenancy Agreement is the most important document: it serves as the legally binding contract between a landlord and a tenant and outlines the terms of the tenancy. It is a mandatory contract that is signed by both landlord and tenant and typically includes specifics like duration of the rental, rental rate, payment terms, restrictions (i.e. pets, subletting, etc.). The landlord must give the tenant a copy of the signed and dated tenancy agreement within 21 days of signing.
A tenancy ends for a variety of reasons. As a result, the BC government has 6 separate forms to address the different circumstances surrounding the end of a tenancy agreement when initiated by the landlord:
2. One Month Notice to End Tenancy – This is applicable when the tenant has missed rent payments, caused damage to the property, disrupted the neighbourhood/other tenants, provided false information or sublet the unit unlawfully.
3. Two Month Notice to End Tenancy– This applies when the landlord or close family member intends to move into the unit or the property is sold to a new owner who will live in the unit.
4. Four Month Notice to End Tenancy– This applies to demolition, renovation, or conversion of the rental unit to another use. This lengthier notice is required to be provided when construction plans dictate.
4. Landlord Application for Dispute Resolution_Other– for extreme circumstances when the landlord is applying for possession of a rental unit because it has become uninhabitable or for an issue not found on the Landlord’s Application for Dispute Resolution. This form must be accompanied by an Application for Dispute Resolution.
When a new tenant moves into a rental property, the landlord is obligated to walk through the unit with the tenant reviewing all the items listed on the Condition Inspection Report, making note of items that aren’t functioning properly or pre-existing damage. All issues should be recorded in the Condition Inspection Report document. This protects both the landlord and tenant from unfounded allegations of damage. Landlords should commit to addressing any issues; this will help ensure a successful landlord/tenant relationship.
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Once a year, landlords are permitted to issue a Notice of Rent increase to an existing tenant with a minimum of 3 months warning in advance of the proposed increase taking effect. This can only happen 12 months after the date existing rent was established with the tenants or 12 months after the date of the last legal rent increase for the tenant(s), even if there is a new landlord or a new tenant.
Go Digital – Keep track of your Tenancy Forms in liv.rent
Why you should go digital?
Keeping these crucial documents up-to-date, accurate, safe and readily available is imperative to protecting yourself and your tenant. With liv.rent, you have instant access to standard BC tenancy agreements – with pre-loaded information, eliminating human error and confusion. It’s easy to export and share your digital contracts, and they are all safely stored in our secure app.
How to go digital with liv.rent
Digital forms are available to all users of liv.rent. To access auto-filled tenancy forms and custom addendum’s, verify your account and listing today. Past, current, and upcoming tenancy agreements (contracts) signed on the liv.rent platform can easily be referenced, shared, and exported in just a few clicks. This means access to all of the necessary information that is part of your rental agreement is in the palm of your hands, wherever you go.
Coming Soon: Condition Inspection Report
Soon liv.rent will also capture Condition Inspection Reports associated with each rental property. Sign up for our newsletter to be informed for all our latest feature launches.
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