Legal Resources

This booklet provides basic, accessible legal information for Indigenous people facing legal issues. Topics include justice systems, children and families, rights and protections, death and taxes, income security, and class actions. It explains how the laws can vary for people based on their Indigeneity.

This chapter is from the manual used by law students handling cases at LSLAP’s legal clinics. It provides a summary of the law relating to tenancy agreements, security deposits, rent increases, tenants’ and landlords’ rights, termination, and eviction. Dispute resolution are also addressed.

Explains how to identify discrimination in housing and what steps to take if you’re discriminated against. Whether you’re renting, living in a strata, or buying a home, you can’t be treated badly or unfairly because of certain parts of your identity, such as race, sex, or any disability.

Explains the rules landlords must follow about locks and keys. It includes what you need to know when starting a tenancy, during a tenancy, and when ending a tenancy. It includes information on dispute resolution, with previous Residential Tenancy Board decisions.

Tips on finding a place to rent, including what the costs are, what questions to ask when you view a unit, the signs of a rental scam, what to do if you have a poor credit history, and whether to get tenant insurance. Includes templates for a cover letter, references list, and pet resumé.

An eviction occurs when a landlord legally forces a tenant to move out of a rental unit. If your landlord wants to evict you, they must give you an approved notice with an acceptable reason for eviction according to the Residential Tenancy Act.

A security deposit is money that your landlord collects at the start of the tenancy and holds on to until you move out. Find out more details about it, including pet damage deposits, overpaying deposits, applying deposits toward rent, and getting your deposits returned.

The Residential Tenancy Branch handles most rental disputes in BC, but there are some exceptions where you’d have to go to court or a tribunal. Beyond formal hearings, tenants and landlords are encouraged to negotiate settlements, with options to engage an arbitrator.

Legal information for all stages of your tenancy — from starting a tenancy to ending one. Includes how to resolve disputes.

This three-and-a-half-minute video explains how the BC Human Rights Code protects you from discrimination in your tenancy.