Renter & Landlord FAQ

The information we ask for is exactly what you’ll find on a standard tenancy application. We don’t ask for anything that you wouldn’t share with a landlord or tenant if you wanted to get into a rental agreement. We take your personal information very seriously.

liv.rent does not require your SIN. If you choose to provide it as part of getting your Trust Score, it will not be saved by liv.rent. A landlord may ask an applicant to provide them with a Trust Score, but it is not necessary to use our platform.

Once your credit check is complete and your Trust Score has been generated, your personal information is destroyed immediately. No one, including liv.rent employees, can see your data. All information is encrypted with AES-256-CTR (similar to military-grade encryption).

Trust Score is an intelligent rating system we designed to help renters clearly establish and communicate their credibility as renters. We use an Equifax credit report as part of our analysis. Using a social insurance number (SIN) is a secure way to make sure the right profile is pulled for this report.

Find out more about how getting a Trust Score streamlines renting for everyone.

After you have uploaded your government-issued photo ID to liv.rent, we will conduct a strict verification process. We will also ask for a selfie, which we use to match against your government-issued ID and confirm your identity. This is to protect against identity theft and related fraudulent activity.

Upon confirmation of your identity, your government-issued photo ID and all copies of authentication information will be securely destroyed immediately.

No one has access to your personal information unless you have given permission for the customer support team to assist or help you manage your account. We take your personal information very seriously.

Yes, liv.rent is a Vancouver-based start-up that officially launched in August 2018. We are a rental platform that saves you time and energy by digitalizing the rental process for both renters and landlords.

Renters can:

• Search for verified rental listings
• Store rental documents
• See properties with video tours
• Send digital applications and sign tenancy agreements
• And more — see all our free renter features

Landlords and property managers can:

• Advertise rental listings
• Cross-promote across liv.rent’s syndicated channels (Facebook rental groups, WeChat, Zumper and more)
• Screen tenants with Trust Score
• Sign digital lease agreements
• Collect rent payments online
• And more — check out all of our landlord features

Plus, with liv.rent’s custom Landlord Dashboard, you can use Listing Insights to help price your rental property competitively by comparing what’s out there in the market to attract suitable, qualified tenants.

Visit our office

Suite 1A – 1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver, BC V6G 2V4

Reach us

Phone: (604) 593-3020

Email: info@liv.rent

We’re available

Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST

We ask for your phone number to reduce the number of scam users signing up on our platform and to ensure your safety. Once you have submitted your phone number, we will send you an SMS message for authentication.

To protect your personal data, all information is encrypted with AES-256-CTR encryption. Plus, all network traffic is secured with the HTTPS protocol. We take your personal information very seriously.

Yes, contracts signed on liv.rent are legally binding. When users enter into a tenancy agreement, they are entering into a contract directly with each other. Note: liv.rent only serves as a tool provider to facilitate the contract process, but is not a party to any tenancy agreement and has no authority to enforce the terms outlined in the signed agreement.

For more information, please refer to liv.rent’s Terms and Conditions.

liv.rent currently has listings across all of B.C. and in selected cities including Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.

You should only give your security deposit, also known as a damage deposit, at the time of signing or after a lease agreement has been signed. The deposit can be no more than half of the first month’s rent and must be paid within 30 days of entering into the tenancy agreement. Once you have paid your deposit, the tenancy is established. In other words, you can’t move in somewhere else and your landlord can’t rent it out to someone else.

Rental guide: how rent works in Canada — a provincial comparison.

If your landlord refuses to return your security deposit, then you can apply for dispute resolution requesting that your deposit be returned.

However, before applying for dispute resolution, make sure you have complied with the following rules:

1. Provided a forwarding address to your landlord, in writing.
2. Thoroughly cleaned your unit and removed all belongings.
3. Participated in the move-out inspection and completed the move-out condition inspection report.

Once your tenancy has ended and you have complied with all the rules, your landlord must return your deposit within 15 days of you moving out. An exception to this is when your landlord requests compensation for damage or applies for dispute resolution to request keeping part of the deposit.

For more information, read our ultimate guide on security deposits.

Depending on where you are renting, landlords may or may not have the right to refuse pets. In Ontario, landlords cannot refuse a tenant who has a pet. The only exception is if the rental property is a condominium.

However, for most provinces like Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and B.C., landlords can refuse pets. The only exception is a tenant with a guide or service animal, and landlords cannot request a pet damage deposit in this case.

Additionally, if pets are allowed, landlords have the right to restrict the kind or breed, the size and the number of pets. Keep in mind that it is quite common for landlords to allow small pets but not large ones. Learn more at gov.bc.ca.

Search on liv.rent to find pet-friendly rentals in Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey and more. Simply apply the “Pet Policy” filter.

Depending on which roommate setup you have, the person living with you may or may not need to be on the lease agreement. There are three types of setup for roommates and occupants:

1. Co-tenants are roommates who share a single tenancy agreement. In this case, the name of the co-tenant must be on the lease agreement. Co-tenants are jointly responsible for everything related to the tenancy. If the landlord issues an eviction notice because the full rent was not paid on time, then this will apply to everyone.
2. Tenants in common have separate tenancy agreements with the landlord (the landlord rents out individual rooms in a house under separate agreements). In this case, the person living with you must be on a lease agreement that is separate from yours. If anything goes wrong on their agreement, you won’t face any legal implications.
3. Roommates and occupants do not rent from the landlord. Instead, they rent from the tenant. In this case, the person living with you does not have to be on the lease. However, in this kind of arrangement, the roommate or occupant will not be protected by the Residential Tenancy Act. Also, for any disputes, they cannot use the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) dispute resolution system. They can only settle through Small Claims Court, the Civil Resolution Tribunal or the B.C. Supreme Court.

It is highly recommended that you draft a roommate agreement to set expectations and ground rules. Learn more about finding a roommate and download the free roommate agreement template.

When the tenant’s health or safety is impacted or the property is put at risk, it would be classified as an emergency repair. By law, landlords are responsible for handling and paying for all emergency repairs.

The following situations would be considered emergency repairs:

• Major leaks in pipes or the roof
• A broken primary heating system
• A damaged plumbing system
• A malfunctioning electrical system that can create a risk of fire or electrocution
• Defective locks that make the unit insecure

Your landlord is required to provide an emergency contact number either in writing or by posting it in a common area. If you encounter an urgent repair that meets the definition of an emergency, you should try calling the emergency contact at least twice, leaving a reasonable amount of time between each attempt.

If there is still no response, then you can arrange to have the repairs done at a reasonable cost. Afterwards, your landlord must reimburse you for the emergency repair. In order to receive reimbursement, you must submit all receipts and a summary documenting your process. Make sure to keep copies of your research effort to show that you did your best to find a fair price.

Check out the following blog post for a complete list of landlord and tenant responsibilities.

Landlords can ask for the following information:

• Credit check
• References
• Salary
• Post-dated cheques

Protect yourself and learn more about what information landlords can and cannot ask for.

Prospective landlords may request a credit check to assess your ability to pay rent. To run a credit check, you must provide your name, address and date of birth. Landlords may also ask for your driver’s licence, passport or social insurance number (SIN). Although this information is not needed, it will allow the landlord to obtain a more detailed report from the organization providing the credit check. Learn about Trust Score, our intelligent rating system for establishing your credibility as a renter.

Note: landlords are required to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). As a result, landlords must provide an explanation when they request certain documents. They are not allowed to collect more information than what’s needed for the stated purpose.

Tenants are responsible for repairing damage caused by someone living in the unit (e.g. roommates) or visiting it (e.g. guests). This also applies to damage caused by pets. For all other rental repairs, landlords are responsible for fixing them. However, tenants are responsible for notifying the landlord if something needs to be repaired.

Additionally, tenants are required to meet the minimum standard of health and cleanliness for the unit and surrounding areas such as the hallway, yard and laundry facility.

Here are some useful resources:

• Complete list of landlord and tenant responsibilities
• Rental repairs and maintenance responsibilities

In B.C., responsibility for snow removal depends on the rental property type. For a multi-unit building, landlords are responsible for snow removal. On the other hand, for a single- or multi-family dwelling or townhouse, renters are responsible for shovelling snow.

In Ontario, landlords are responsible for snow and ice removal. Under section 26 of Ontario Regulation 517, landlords are obligated to maintain exterior common areas, which includes removing weeds and shovelling snow. Even if the residential lease has a clause that requires the tenant to remove snow and ice from a rental property, this is not enforceable because landlords cannot transfer this responsibility to the tenant.

Learn more by viewing our complete list of landlord and tenant responsibilities.

Landlords are responsible for appliances in a rental property, except for appliances that are not stated in the rental agreement. As a result, the basic maintenance of appliances, as well as replacement or repairs related to standard wear and tear, falls under the landlord’s domain. However, tenants are responsible for repair costs if they caused the damage.

If the damage was not caused by the tenant, their pets or their guests, then landlords cannot make a tenant pay for repairs. Likewise, a tenant cannot make the repairs themselves and charge the landlord for the costs unless they received a written agreement from the landlord beforehand.

For regular or routine repairs, tenants must request in writing — describing the problem and providing the landlord a reasonable amount of time to fix it. If the landlord refuses to fix the problem, then the tenant can apply for dispute resolution to obtain an order requiring the landlord to make the repair, and apply for monetary compensation.

For emergency repairs, tenants must reach out to the emergency contact at least twice, leaving a reasonable amount of time between each attempt. If there is still no response, then they can arrange to have the repairs done at a reasonable cost and request reimbursement from the landlord. In order to receive payment for the repair, tenants must submit all receipts and a summary documenting the research process, showing their best effort to find a fair price.

Landlords can evict you for paying rent late. In accordance with the Residential Tenancy Act, your landlord can give a 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy if rent or utilities were not paid in full by midnight on the due date.

If you pay the outstanding amount within five days of receiving the notice, then the notice is cancelled and your tenancy continues.

Note: even if you did not pay the rent on time, landlords do not have the right to remove or limit access to any of your personal property unless they received written permission from the court or they followed the procedure for abandoned property.

No, tenant insurance is not mandatory. However, landlords may request it as a condition in the lease.

Although you are not obligated to get tenant insurance (also known as renter’s insurance), it is highly recommended because it can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. For instance, if another tenant or a neighbour caused an accident that resulted in damage to your personal property, you are responsible for covering the cost to repair or replace your items.

Tenant insurance can cover the damage and losses to your personal property. Read on to learn more about tenant insurance and its benefits.

No, landlords cannot ask for an additional security deposit. In B.C., landlords can only request one security deposit and one pet damage deposit per tenancy agreement.

The security deposit (or damage deposit) can be no more than half of the first month’s rent, and is used to cover any damage to the rental unit. Likewise, a pet damage deposit can be no more than half of the first month’s rent, regardless of the number of pets allowed.

Learn more about security deposits in B.C.

In Ontario, instead of a security deposit, landlords can request a rent deposit (also known as last month’s rent). On a yearly or monthly rental, the rent deposit can be no more than one month’s rent. On a weekly rental, the rent deposit can be no more than one week’s rent. Unlike a security deposit, which would be returned at the end of a lease term (provided there was no damage), the rent deposit is used for the final period of rent. Landlords may not use the rent deposit for damage or other costs.

A key deposit is legal in Ontario. However, in other Canadian provinces, such a deposit is either not allowed or considered part of the security deposit.

In Ontario, the key deposit can be no more than the actual cost to replace the keys and must be refundable — landlords must give back the deposit when their tenant returns the keys.

In B.C., landlords cannot charge a fee for the tenant’s primary key, which serves as the only means of getting into the rental property. However, a refundable fee can be charged for additional keys or access devices, like a fob.

Yes, landlords are allowed to increase rent, but the requirements vary by province.

In B.C., landlords must issue a Notice of Rent Increase a minimum of three months in advance of the proposed increase taking effect. In addition, landlords can only increase rent once in a 12-month period and cannot exceed the maximum allowable rent increase.

Similar to B.C., landlords in Ontario must also provide the tenant with a written notice stating their intention to raise rent three months in advance, and are restricted to once every 12-month period.

In order to get out of a lease early, you must provide your landlord with written notice of your intent to terminate the fixed term tenancy agreement earlier than the end date. Afterwards, both you and your landlord must sign the Mutual Agreement to End Tenancy form and each keep a copy.

If you decide to end your lease early, be prepared to reimburse your landlord for costs associated with re-renting the unit (e.g. advertising or lost rent). As an alternative, you can also ask your landlord for written permission to help them find a new renter, either through subletting or assigning the tenancy agreement to someone else.

In order to enter the rental property, landlords must serve a notice of entry at least 24 hours in advance, but no more than 30 days before the effective date. The notice must state the date, time and purpose for entering. In addition, the time scheduled for entry must be between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m., unless another time is agreed upon. It’s important to know your rights as a tenant.

No, liv.rent is completely free for renters. By signing up, you can enjoy all of our features at no additional cost:

• Verified landlords, to rent safer
• Renter Resume, to apply to multiple listings with one account
• Video tours
• Trust Score, to showcase your credibility as a renter
• Digital contracts, to paperlessly secure your rental

A verified listing or verified landlord on liv.rent means that our team has manually validated the information of a rental listing or an individual landlord from external sources (including but not limited to government-issued ID, land titles or official documents such as a business licence). This is used to confirm the validity of the rental listing and the identity of the landlord.

If a landlord or listing is verified, you will see a verified badge (checkmark icon) next to the address of the listing or the name of the landlord. Learn more about liv.rent’s verification process.

In order to apply to a listing on liv.rent, you need to first sign up and complete your online renter resume by providing basic information such as name, date of birth, email, phone number and preferred language.

Similar to how landlords are verified, renters also go through a verification process which contributes to the Trust Score, our rating system used by landlords to evaluate your credibility as a renter. After completing your resume, you no longer have to worry about filling in any additional forms — you can apply to multiple listings at once.

Your Trust Score is not the same as your Equifax score, because Trust Score uses a powerful algorithm that corroborates information from multiple sources — like your LinkedIn profile, references and financial records — to assess your credibility as a renter. It provides a more secure and accurate measure of your reliability.

Your Trust Score may be low due to missing information in certain sections of your profile.

To improve your Trust Score:

• Complete your profile
• Complete liv.rent’s verification process
• Upload additional financial documents (e.g. pay stubs, employment letter, tax slips and more)

Check out this blog post on how you can improve your Trust Score.

You can pay rent online through liv.rent, either in-app or on the web. There are several payment options you can choose from, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, UnionPay and bitcoin.

Learn more about how you can pay rent through liv.rent to your landlord.

If you’re paying by credit card — Visa, Mastercard or American Express — then you will have to cover the standard processing fee charged by Stripe, the platform used to facilitate these payments.

If you pay with UnionPay, you will be charged a standard processing fee of 2.5% per transaction.

If you choose to use liv.rent’s Pay by Bitcoin feature, then you will pay a nominal, non-refundable fee of 0.5% per transaction. This is charged by liv.rent to cover the costs associated with facilitating these transactions. Additionally, you will have to cover any processing fees charged by the cryptocurrency network that you use.

These fees will be labelled as “Processing fees” on your payment details page.

Most of these processing fees are charged by third parties like Stripe and UnionPay, which liv.rent has no control over. You will see the same fees being applied on other rent collection platforms.

For liv.rent-specific fees, including the processing fee for bitcoin payments, we only charge when necessary. These fees are collected to help facilitate the transaction and to cover administrative costs.

To pay your rent through liv.rent, you will have to wait for your landlord to send a payment request, which will appear in your chat timeline. Once you receive the notification, click on the request and follow the payment flow. This can be done in-app or online.

You should then be able to see a drop-down menu with three payment options: Visa/Mastercard/American Express, UnionPay, and Pay by Bitcoin.

Select your payment option and follow the instructions.

This may occur if you pay with bitcoin, since fluctuations in the exchange rate can affect your payment amount.

In other words, the exchange rate, which is calculated at the time of payment, may result in a paid amount that is less than the requested amount. In this case, you would receive a message saying that you have underpaid. To resolve it, all you need to do is pay the remaining balance.

For more information on underpayment, you can refer to Section 4.10(f) of our Terms and Conditions.

This may occur if you pay with bitcoin, since fluctuations in the exchange rate can affect your payment amount.

In other words, the exchange rate, which is calculated at the time of payment, may result in a paid amount that is greater than the requested amount.

Since the entire payment is converted into fiat currency and transferred to the landlord — and liv.rent does not hold on to any overpaid funds — you will need to contact your landlord directly to arrange a refund or credit based on an agreed method.

For more information on overpayment, you can refer to Section 4.10(g) of our Terms and Conditions.

Contact your landlord directly to make arrangements.

For rare cases of invalid or cancelled payments, liv.rent may issue a refund. Please view Sections 4.10(h) and 4.10(d) of our Terms and Conditions for the applicable refund situations.

If the situation applies, renters may submit a refund request to support@liv.rent. liv.rent will then review the request and issue a refund if it is deemed valid.

For information on how the refund amount is calculated, refer to Section 4.10(j) of our Terms and Conditions.

If your landlord is not on liv.rent, we can get them onboarded right away. Ask them to contact us at support@liv.rent. We can help them set up a free account and provide a quick tour of all the different landlord features — including electronic rent collection.

Scams and fraudulent activity are remarkably uncommon on the liv.rent platform thanks to our extensive verification process. For an added measure against rental scams, we verify both our listings and our landlords. Listings are verified by official documents or directly through mail, whereas landlords are verified by government-issued ID or business licence. So, during your search, make sure to look for the verified checkmark next to the listing and the landlord profile.

However, if you believe you have been the victim of a scam or suspect fraudulent activity, then contact us immediately at support@liv.rent and we will begin an investigation.

Since all correspondence between you and your landlord — including payment requests — is stored in your chat timeline, you will have a record of everything, which can be used as supporting evidence.