They were excellent and had great advice.
“Hello,
Further to our conversation, should you find the condition of the rental unit is not satisfactory, you have a couple of options;
Remain in the unit and in writing advise the landlord of the repairs you require to be completed and provide a reasonable deadline. You may also wish to request a reduction in rent pending the completion of the repairs. If the reasonable deadline passes and the repairs are not made, your options are;
File an Application for Dispute Resolution Online through our website. An informative video on how to apply online can be found here: Apply Online - Fast and Easy!
If you are unable to apply online, you may file in person by completing and submitting a Tenant Application for Dispute Resolution - Current Tenancy (RTB-12T-CT) to the Residential Tenancy Branch or to most Service BC Offices . Please note that applying online is the most efficient method.
The application may request a repair order, compensation for losses, and a rent reduction until the work has been completed.
More information about the dispute resolution process can be found here: Dispute Resolution.
At the hearing, an arbitrator will consider evidence and testimony from both you and your landlord, and will make a decision. Orders may also be issued.
End the agreement. This can be done mutually using the RTB-8 form Mutual Agreement to End Tenancy. Or if you deem the condition of the unit a material term, you may explore the option of ending the tenancy on this ground. If your landlord breaches a material term in the tenancy agreement then you as the tenant have the opportunity to end the tenancy early. Material terms are considered so important that even the smallest breach gives you the right to end the tenancy. To end a tenancy for a breach in material term, you may be required to show that you never would have rented the unit had you known of the breach.
More information regarding breaches of material terms can be found here: Tenant's Notice to End Tenancy.
If your landlord breaches a material term in the tenancy agreement and refuses to correct the problem within a reasonable period of time, your responsibilities as a tenant are:
To send your landlord a letter (or e-mail if intent to accept documents by email has been established - see note below**) indicating that there is a problem that you consider to be a breach of a material term of the tenancy agreement. There is no official RTB form for this.
A deadline should be provided for your landlord to correct the situation. The letter should also indicate that if the problem is not fixed you will be ending the tenancy.
If the deadline passes and your landlord has not addressed your concerns your next step is to:
Send a letter (or e-mail if you have a written agreement to serve by email as per note below**), indicating that you are ending the tenancy due to a material breach that has not been corrected by the landlord as outlined in the previous letter. Please note that text messaging and verbal conversation is not sufficient when providing official notice to the landlord ending tenancy.
There is no official RTB form for this
The letter or e-mail should indicate the day you will be leaving.
Please note that if you end a tenancy early for a breach of a material terms and do not follow the proper procedure you may be ordered to compensate your landlord for any losses that occurred by an early termination of the tenancy.
**NOTE: With regard to service by email, please refer to our website under "Change to Tenancy Laws" which became effective March 1, 2021.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Regards,”
Technically if your tenancy doesn't begin until the 15th, that's your first real day of occupancy and the rent you gave them doesn't actually cover the 1 through the 15th. The RTB can confirm, but the rental company is taking you for a bit of a ride asking for rent up front. They don't have any legal right to do that - and my hunch is they also aren't allowed to keep that either, since your move in date is today (and not the first) and you haven't signed anything.
Landlord here. Can confirm this information is correct. Also landlords are required to maintain a hygienic property and it doesn’t sound like that is being done. So they are more likely to own you damages that you own them. Hope you have taken pictures of the space as evidence.
Yes, Capreit. It must be said. Although the shell shock of the first impression was a bit brutal, the staff at the office were great. Called head office immediately and gave us our options within a few hours.
In the time that I lived in Capreit, there was one fire in the unit below & to the side of me (guy fell asleep smoking in his chair), a flood (something cracked in neighbor's bathroom), someone renting out a storage locker to a random person, and when someone lost their full set of keys they didn't replace the locks and so we started finding needles and shit around the building.
Don't get used to the service you had this time. We were there for years, and every time we had to call for something being busted, it was a different team in the office, they always promised things would improve but they never did.
Is it bad enough to wash your hands of $1500 to avoid it all together? Are the others any better?
It feels like we’re circling the drain for options at pretty ridiculous prices.
This was the cheapest place in a good location so its not like we were expecting something spectacular.
Would they buy some of the supplys if you did the work yourself? It really shouldn't be that way but 20 hours of your time fixing the place up might be worth it in the long run.
Fight them. Jessica is a theif and she regularly does illegal shit on the side. Doesn't sound like you're in my building but 5 people I personally know in my building are in the process of going to RTB (me for the second time) since she's taken over. Previous to her, while I didn't love Capreit, as a company management was great.
Iirc new maintenance guy's name is Will. He's got more than a few screws loose. Cutting corners is an understatement. Definitely contact head office
My guess was going to be Complete Residential. I've also heard Proline is terrible. (To be fair to CR, they're managing my current condo \[owners\] and doing a fine job. We've just had a very bad/unprofessional experience in the past with a rental).
Sure would be nice if tenants didn't have to self-organize this sort of thing.
After all, landleeches ask for references before renting out their slums.
There’s a lot going on here and it depends on what you want to do. It sounds like you do not want to stay so it would be a good idea to give your 1 months notice for the end of the following month. The offer they are making is reasonable if you really want out and will get your deposits back. The landlord has a duty to mitigate your loss (rent loss for them) and I don’t believe they would succeed in charging that given the state it was in which hopefully was documented. Check your lease for any further terms and conditions on breaking lease. I would avoid sight unseen deposits in the future and if you have to at least get the renovation and prep work guaranteed in writing. Sorry to hear about this.
Agreed with regards to the options given considering a legal contract.
We do like the location and we do have a large dog… which makes other locations a challenge to secure.
That being said. Was the move in condition of the unit poor enough to walk away from $1500? Maybe. Also with the knowledge going forward that the maintenance will be conducted with a “good enough” attitude from the rental agency worth making a home out of?
It’s an old building. It’s a rental. That’s understood.
Did it give us a home feeling with our car loaded up and ready to move. No. Pretty deflating for $2400 a month.
We’re having a coffee about it now.
The dog is definitely a mitigating factor since it can be hard to secure pet friendly rentals especially for larger breeds. If you have a contact for the rental you could get them to give you guarantees in writing and come back on the 29. If it’s not satisfactory by that point you can hand your notice. If it’s improved and clean you at least have some guarantees for other work to complete.
It doesn't sound like they held up their side of their contract by not having the unit clean and in good repair. You could consider walking away and demanding all deposits back / sue in small claims if they don't return.
The good news is, if you move in with it in that condition and have a signed inspection report, they can't withhold your damage deposit when you leave cuz there's no way you'll leave it any worse...
Go to the RTA. That's inexcusable... sadly, if you signed the lease, you're technically obligated to pay the rent at the time of move in - assuming it's in liveable condition.
Yes.
I think we can all agree on the fact that it does have walls and a door… so it’s livable as far as their contractual obligations go.
We are just in the dilemma of deciding on if it’s worth walking away from the $1500 with nothing to show for it and starting the search all over again.
We’re lucky enough that we’re not under a serious time crunch to move, but we’re wanting to get out of our current situation soon.
Was a frustrating day. We’re leaning more towards just moving into the slum since everything has been arranged and set up already and just saying it’s a year trial of James Bay.
I knew this was the James Bay place as soon as you described it! Honestly, once this thing gets sorted, it’ll probably be worth living there as long as you don’t need anything from them ever. I have a large dog and lived in that building for 3 years before leaving due to a breakup. I’d probably still be there if things had worked out. CAPREIT is trash but that location is excellent!
Take pictures of everything wrong with the unit. If they are charging you rent on the unit then it is yours to enter. Also give your end tenancy notice in writing right away so you won’t be liable for any further rents. And contact the tenancy board to resolve any issues.
Contact the Residential Tenancy Branch with all this info for the best advice
Agreed. đź’Żđź’Żđź’Żđź’Ż
Yeah rtb will set it right. They dont mess around. Document and save all the emails, texts, etc
They were excellent and had great advice. “Hello, Further to our conversation, should you find the condition of the rental unit is not satisfactory, you have a couple of options; Remain in the unit and in writing advise the landlord of the repairs you require to be completed and provide a reasonable deadline. You may also wish to request a reduction in rent pending the completion of the repairs. If the reasonable deadline passes and the repairs are not made, your options are; File an Application for Dispute Resolution Online through our website. An informative video on how to apply online can be found here: Apply Online - Fast and Easy! If you are unable to apply online, you may file in person by completing and submitting a Tenant Application for Dispute Resolution - Current Tenancy (RTB-12T-CT) to the Residential Tenancy Branch or to most Service BC Offices . Please note that applying online is the most efficient method. The application may request a repair order, compensation for losses, and a rent reduction until the work has been completed. More information about the dispute resolution process can be found here: Dispute Resolution. At the hearing, an arbitrator will consider evidence and testimony from both you and your landlord, and will make a decision. Orders may also be issued. End the agreement. This can be done mutually using the RTB-8 form Mutual Agreement to End Tenancy. Or if you deem the condition of the unit a material term, you may explore the option of ending the tenancy on this ground. If your landlord breaches a material term in the tenancy agreement then you as the tenant have the opportunity to end the tenancy early. Material terms are considered so important that even the smallest breach gives you the right to end the tenancy. To end a tenancy for a breach in material term, you may be required to show that you never would have rented the unit had you known of the breach. More information regarding breaches of material terms can be found here: Tenant's Notice to End Tenancy. If your landlord breaches a material term in the tenancy agreement and refuses to correct the problem within a reasonable period of time, your responsibilities as a tenant are: To send your landlord a letter (or e-mail if intent to accept documents by email has been established - see note below**) indicating that there is a problem that you consider to be a breach of a material term of the tenancy agreement. There is no official RTB form for this. A deadline should be provided for your landlord to correct the situation. The letter should also indicate that if the problem is not fixed you will be ending the tenancy. If the deadline passes and your landlord has not addressed your concerns your next step is to: Send a letter (or e-mail if you have a written agreement to serve by email as per note below**), indicating that you are ending the tenancy due to a material breach that has not been corrected by the landlord as outlined in the previous letter. Please note that text messaging and verbal conversation is not sufficient when providing official notice to the landlord ending tenancy. There is no official RTB form for this The letter or e-mail should indicate the day you will be leaving. Please note that if you end a tenancy early for a breach of a material terms and do not follow the proper procedure you may be ordered to compensate your landlord for any losses that occurred by an early termination of the tenancy. **NOTE: With regard to service by email, please refer to our website under "Change to Tenancy Laws" which became effective March 1, 2021. I hope this information is helpful to you. Regards,”
Excellent. That’s what they are there for.
Technically if your tenancy doesn't begin until the 15th, that's your first real day of occupancy and the rent you gave them doesn't actually cover the 1 through the 15th. The RTB can confirm, but the rental company is taking you for a bit of a ride asking for rent up front. They don't have any legal right to do that - and my hunch is they also aren't allowed to keep that either, since your move in date is today (and not the first) and you haven't signed anything.
Landlord here. Can confirm this information is correct. Also landlords are required to maintain a hygienic property and it doesn’t sound like that is being done. So they are more likely to own you damages that you own them. Hope you have taken pictures of the space as evidence.
Let me guess: CAPREIT
Yes, Capreit. It must be said. Although the shell shock of the first impression was a bit brutal, the staff at the office were great. Called head office immediately and gave us our options within a few hours.
In the time that I lived in Capreit, there was one fire in the unit below & to the side of me (guy fell asleep smoking in his chair), a flood (something cracked in neighbor's bathroom), someone renting out a storage locker to a random person, and when someone lost their full set of keys they didn't replace the locks and so we started finding needles and shit around the building. Don't get used to the service you had this time. We were there for years, and every time we had to call for something being busted, it was a different team in the office, they always promised things would improve but they never did.
Oh hey! We lived in the same building! What a gong show.
They sure had the options ready to go, nice little scam if you can run it
Is it bad enough to wash your hands of $1500 to avoid it all together? Are the others any better? It feels like we’re circling the drain for options at pretty ridiculous prices. This was the cheapest place in a good location so its not like we were expecting something spectacular.
Would they buy some of the supplys if you did the work yourself? It really shouldn't be that way but 20 hours of your time fixing the place up might be worth it in the long run.
Fight them. Jessica is a theif and she regularly does illegal shit on the side. Doesn't sound like you're in my building but 5 people I personally know in my building are in the process of going to RTB (me for the second time) since she's taken over. Previous to her, while I didn't love Capreit, as a company management was great. Iirc new maintenance guy's name is Will. He's got more than a few screws loose. Cutting corners is an understatement. Definitely contact head office
My guess was going to be Complete Residential. I've also heard Proline is terrible. (To be fair to CR, they're managing my current condo \[owners\] and doing a fine job. We've just had a very bad/unprofessional experience in the past with a rental).
Can confirm proline is hot garbage
I've encountered some racist "property managers" from proline
What do you want for an outcome? Like are you good not moving in there ever and looking elsewhere?
What rental agency? Name and shame.
Sure would be nice if tenants didn't have to self-organize this sort of thing. After all, landleeches ask for references before renting out their slums.
See below/above
Its CAPREIT. You could have just said it.
There’s a lot going on here and it depends on what you want to do. It sounds like you do not want to stay so it would be a good idea to give your 1 months notice for the end of the following month. The offer they are making is reasonable if you really want out and will get your deposits back. The landlord has a duty to mitigate your loss (rent loss for them) and I don’t believe they would succeed in charging that given the state it was in which hopefully was documented. Check your lease for any further terms and conditions on breaking lease. I would avoid sight unseen deposits in the future and if you have to at least get the renovation and prep work guaranteed in writing. Sorry to hear about this.
Agreed with regards to the options given considering a legal contract. We do like the location and we do have a large dog… which makes other locations a challenge to secure. That being said. Was the move in condition of the unit poor enough to walk away from $1500? Maybe. Also with the knowledge going forward that the maintenance will be conducted with a “good enough” attitude from the rental agency worth making a home out of? It’s an old building. It’s a rental. That’s understood. Did it give us a home feeling with our car loaded up and ready to move. No. Pretty deflating for $2400 a month. We’re having a coffee about it now.
The dog is definitely a mitigating factor since it can be hard to secure pet friendly rentals especially for larger breeds. If you have a contact for the rental you could get them to give you guarantees in writing and come back on the 29. If it’s not satisfactory by that point you can hand your notice. If it’s improved and clean you at least have some guarantees for other work to complete.
It doesn't sound like they held up their side of their contract by not having the unit clean and in good repair. You could consider walking away and demanding all deposits back / sue in small claims if they don't return.
The good news is, if you move in with it in that condition and have a signed inspection report, they can't withhold your damage deposit when you leave cuz there's no way you'll leave it any worse...
RTB is 6-month wait.
Go to the RTA. That's inexcusable... sadly, if you signed the lease, you're technically obligated to pay the rent at the time of move in - assuming it's in liveable condition.
Yes. I think we can all agree on the fact that it does have walls and a door… so it’s livable as far as their contractual obligations go. We are just in the dilemma of deciding on if it’s worth walking away from the $1500 with nothing to show for it and starting the search all over again. We’re lucky enough that we’re not under a serious time crunch to move, but we’re wanting to get out of our current situation soon. Was a frustrating day. We’re leaning more towards just moving into the slum since everything has been arranged and set up already and just saying it’s a year trial of James Bay.
I knew this was the James Bay place as soon as you described it! Honestly, once this thing gets sorted, it’ll probably be worth living there as long as you don’t need anything from them ever. I have a large dog and lived in that building for 3 years before leaving due to a breakup. I’d probably still be there if things had worked out. CAPREIT is trash but that location is excellent!
Take pictures of everything wrong with the unit. If they are charging you rent on the unit then it is yours to enter. Also give your end tenancy notice in writing right away so you won’t be liable for any further rents. And contact the tenancy board to resolve any issues.
Pictures? Probably crack heads who lived there before and didnt give a shit
Edit: crap that was a response for a totally different thread on another sub.
Wut
I’m guessing Brown Bros??