BC Renters And Landlords Seeing Faster, More Efficient Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolutions

The BC government says renters and landlords in the province are seeing faster and more efficient residential tenancy dispute resolutions, thanks to recent service improvements.

“Nothing is more frustrating for renters and landlords than when the relationship breaks down. It is vitally important that they get clear resolutions faster,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing.

“That’s why we have made significant investments to improve wait times. We have made great strides over this past year to address these issues with exceptional results. The actions we are taking will only continue to speed up service and increase user clarity as we work towards ensuring that renters and landlords can easily access the services they need.”
The province says there has been a 48% reduction in all tenancy dispute hearing wait times, including down to nine weeks for a standard hearing, from about 16 weeks a year ago.

It also says the average wait time for service by phone is now less than seven minutes compared to more than 17 minutes last November; and response times to general emails now take an average of one business day.

The Province’s Residential Tenancy Branch saw a 10% increase in applications in 2023, averaging 2,005 applications per month, compared to an average of 1,811 per month in 2022.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.