Rental Resources

by Kristina September 10, 2019

Landlords, Liv Rent, Rental Resources, Tenants, Vancouver

BC Residential Tenancy Agreement Explained

Finding a place is hard enough. When it comes to signing the BC Residential Tenancy Agreement, or rental agreement, it's a whole other ballgame. Read on as we break down what you need to know and pay attention to regarding BC Residential Tenancy Agreements. With Liv Rent, we make it easy as any past, current, or upcoming lease contracts signed on our platform can be pulled up and exported in ...

by Kristina September 6, 2019

Rental Resources, Tenants

[Updated September 2020] How Much Can My Landlord Increase My Rent?

A rent increase is something that concerns every renter in the province. Rest assured, your landlord can only raise rents by an amount dictated by the Residential Tenancy Branch of BC (RTB). In this unprecedented year of rent freezes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, determining the right allowable increase can be trickier than in previous years. In the table below we have outlined whether the 2020 allowable increase of 2.6% applies ...

by Kristina August 6, 2019

furnished or unfurnished, renting in vancouver

Tenants

Furnished or Unfurnished? – Renter’s Perspective

Looking for the Landlord’s Guide for renting furnished or unfurnished? Check out our article here. What’s Better To Rent - Furnished Or Unfurnished? When deciding whether it is better to rent a furnished or unfurnished apartment, there are a number of things to consider above and beyond the rental cost. Generally speaking, furnished apartments are typically suitable for shorter stays or corporate housing (i.e. rent is subsidized by your employer) since they ...

by Kristina July 2, 2019

Rental Resources, Tenants

Top 12 Tips To Avoid Rental Scams in Vancouver

How to avoid rental scams? As law-abiding and polite as Canadians might be, there are a few bad apples out there who attempt to scam renters. Vancouver is no exception. In fact, given how hot the Vancouver rental market is, it's no surprise apartment rental frauds exist. In fact, 43% of renters throughout North America have encountered fake ads. In most cases, the scammer is trying get money from a prospective ...

by Kristina June 18, 2019

Rental Resources

Protecting Vancouver’s Rental Supply

As affordable rental housing stock gradually diminishes, replaced by pricey condo towers intended to promote densification around transit hubs, various city councils around the Lower Mainland are taking steps and passing legislation to maintain the presence of affordable rental housing in their jurisdictions. The new power cities are wielding is thanks to provincial legislation passed in May 2018 giving municipalities more power and control to zone areas for rental-only housing; ...

by Kristina June 6, 2019

Landlords, Rental Resources

How to Avoid the Empty Homes Tax with Liv.rent

FEATURE PHOTO: BY TIAGO RODRIGUES The two taxes you NEED to know about and how to avoid it Municipal Empty Homes Tax What it is A tax designed by the government to prevent people from price fixing and inflating the rental market to an unreasonable price. What it means to you as a homeowner PRO TIP As of February 4, 2019, you should have already made your declaration. If you haven’t be sure to declare as ...

by Kristina May 30, 2019

Landlords, Rental Resources

The Empty Homes Tax & How To Avoid It For 2019 [Updated 2020]

What is the Empty Homes Tax? After its first year of implementation, the Empty Homes Tax and BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax, instituted to target vacant properties, increase vacancy rates and create affordable housing, is estimated to generate $38 million dollars - $8 million more than originally projected. As this wasn't the original intent of the tax, the City is now considering a number of changes. As a quick summary, here is ...

by Kristina May 22, 2019

Landlords, Rental Resources

Top 10 Tax Deductions for B.C. Landlords

Do you take advantage of all the deductions available to you as a B.C. landlord? When you own a rental property, you are legally obligated to report all rental revenue on the Statement of Real Estate Rentals schedule on your personal tax return. Thankfully, you are also able to deduct a number of landlord expenses from your gross rental revenue and then pay tax only on the amount remaining. To ...

by Kristina April 6, 2019

Landlords

How to Use Social Media to Market Your Rental

Unlike realtors who have to market properties all the time, property managers may go months or even years between property vacancies. However, given that most renters are only obligated to give one month's notice before moving on, you will have to act quickly to ensure your property is rented as soon as possible and cash flow isn't interrupted. In addition to home listing sites, you need to employ a focused ...

by Kristina January 10, 2019

Rental Resources, Tenants

Renter Guide: How Do I Renegotiate My Lease With My Landlord?

When you're nearing the end of your lease, you have a few options as renter. One of those options is renegotiating your lease with your current landlord. This is a daunting exercise for many but it doesn't have to be if you prepare and develop a strategy. Chances are your landlord will take the opportunity to raise the rent by the allowable amount (2.6% for BC in 2020). However, if ...