Metro Vancouver · Landlords & tenants
Khurana Law assists landlords and tenants in Burnaby and the Metro Vancouver region with RTB disputes, evictions, security deposits, rent and repairs. Remote consultations are available in English, Punjabi and Hindi. Start with the written notice and the remedy you need.
We assess 10-day unpaid-rent and one-month cause notices, three-month occupancy notices, and four-month demolition or conversion notices. Older two-month landlord-use wording is not the current rule; major renovations generally require an RTB application for an order.
Challenging a notice means more than telling the landlord you disagree. We review the filing deadline, identify the grounds for a response and prepare evidence for the requested cancellation.
Possession proceedings require the right application and evidence. We explain what an order permits, when it takes effect and why changing locks yourself is not a substitute for legal enforcement.
We assist with RTB monetary orders for rent or damage, including responses to overstated or unsupported claims. The file should explain both the legal basis and the calculation of the alleged loss.
Deposit disputes depend on the move-out record and what happened next. We help tenants request repayment and landlords understand when a claim, consent or other statutory rule may apply.
If a new rental amount is disputed, collect the increase notice and previous payment records. We review the procedural and legal basis instead of assuming every proposed change is enforceable.
We help present evidence about unresolved maintenance and a loss of included services. Keep dated requests, responses and photographs; the right remedy depends on the obligation and the actual facts.
A tenant’s use and privacy rights can be affected by repeated interference. We review the actual incidents and the owner’s knowledge, keeping the requested remedy connected to provable facts.
An RTB decision does not always produce voluntary compliance. We advise on the court process appropriate to a monetary or possession order and the records needed to take the next lawful step.
If your Burnaby rental is in a strata building, collect the tenancy agreement, relevant building notices and your requests to the owner. Identify whether the problem concerns the rental relationship or a separate strata issue before choosing an application.
Keep paying rent unless a lawful basis permits otherwise. A repair complaint and a rent obligation are separate issues; advice can identify the appropriate application instead of a risky unilateral response.
For a Burnaby strata rental, distinguish the tenant’s contractual obligations from the strata council’s concerns. A building fine or complaint should not be treated as an automatic entitlement to take a security deposit; identify the legal basis and supporting records.
Before taking possession, distinguish an RTB order from the steps needed to enforce it. Changing locks or removing belongings without lawful authority can create a separate dispute.
For a Burnaby dispute, the application route follows provincial rules rather than a separate Metro Vancouver tribunal. We begin by checking the remedy and the documents already served.
Start by checking that the RTB can decide the issue. Select the relief you need and submit the proper application before time expires.
Valid delivery is its own procedural requirement. Retain the documents sent and evidence showing how and when the required recipient was served.
Organize the tenancy agreement, notices, payment records, photographs and correspondence. Follow the RTB rules and your hearing package for submission and service deadlines.
RTB hearings are usually remote, commonly by telephone conference. Use the telephone or video arrangements specified in your hearing notice; do not assume the hearing format.
The written reasons explain the outcome; the order sets out what must be done. Keep both and identify any deadline or unmet obligation before taking further action.
Review consideration is not an automatic second hearing. Identify an authorized ground, supporting evidence and the short filing period relevant to the type of decision.
BC Supreme Court can consider a judicial review on appropriate grounds. It is not a rehearing of every fact; seek advice about filing time and whether a stay is needed.
If your rental unit is in Burnaby, check the current notice type before relying on an older guide. These figures are shared across BC, but the trigger date needs an individual assessment.
| Issue | Deadline or limit | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Dispute a 10-day unpaid-rent notice | 5 days after receiving the notice. | RTA s. 46 |
| Dispute a one-month notice for cause | 10 days after receiving the notice. | RTA s. 47 |
| Dispute a landlord or purchaser occupancy notice | Current three-month notice: 21 days after receiving it. Do not rely on the former two-month / 15-day rule. | RTB occupancy notices |
| Dispute a four-month demolition or conversion notice | 30 days after receiving the notice. Major renovations use a different RTB order process, not this notice. | RTA ss. 49, 49.2 |
| Return a security or pet damage deposit, or claim against it | 15 days after the later of the tenancy ending and receipt of the tenant’s forwarding address in writing, subject to statutory exceptions. | RTA s. 38 |
| Apply for judicial review of a final RTB decision | 60 days from the date the decision is issued. The court has a limited power to extend time; do not assume an extension or automatic stay. | ATA s. 57; RTA s. 5.1 |
| RTB monetary claim limit | $35,000, matching BC’s Small Claims limit. Larger claims generally belong in BC Supreme Court, except certain 12-month-rent compensation claims under RTA ss. 51(2) and 51.3. | RTB monetary jurisdiction |
The notice’s legal ground matters. Current landlord or purchaser occupancy generally follows a three-month notice with 21 days to dispute, not the former two-month rule. Demolition and conversion remain a separate four-month notice process. Major renovation cases generally need a section 49.2 RTB order, while the current two-month form relates to subsidized housing. Do not apply a deadline from one process to another.
Our lawyers bring landlord and tenant representation to their work at the Residential Tenancy Branch and in court. Khurana Law’s actual offices are in Surrey and Vancouver, and consultations are offered in three languages: English, Punjabi and Hindi. We aim for plain-language explanations of the issue and the available procedure.
You can represent yourself at the RTB. A lawyer may be useful when the notice, jurisdiction or evidence raises difficult issues, but representation is a choice rather than a hearing requirement. Begin by reviewing the application, the remedy requested and the instructions in your hearing package. A strata complaint should be matched to the actual tenancy remedy before filing.
You do not need to live near the firm’s offices to discuss an RTB dispute. Khurana Law works with BC landlords and tenants remotely from Surrey and Vancouver. Agree on document transfer and hearing participation early; a lawyer’s location does not remove service obligations or other procedural requirements. Send both owner correspondence and building notices so different roles remain clear.
Your landlord must use the lawful route for the work proposed. For major renovations requiring the unit to be vacant, that generally means seeking an RTB order under section 49.2. Ordinary maintenance does not automatically terminate a tenancy, and a demolition notice should be reviewed as a separate document. A proposed building update needs its own legal assessment, not assumptions about vacancy.
Send the forwarding address in writing and retain proof that the landlord received it. The normal rule requires return of the deposit or a claim within 15 days of the later of address receipt and tenancy end. A lawyer can review exceptions, inspection compliance and any proposed deduction before advising. Retain the inspection record alongside any itemized cleaning or damage demand.
Yes, advice can address the amount owed, the correct application and the documents needed to support it. Rent arrears should be calculated separately from property damage or other loss. An RTB monetary order may then need court enforcement if unpaid; a favourable decision is not a promise of successful collection. Credit payments already received before asking for a rent balance.
The timetable varies with the process and the individual file. A direct request, an ordinary participatory hearing and an expedited application are not interchangeable routes. Scheduling and complete service matter, while enforcement or a challenge after the decision may add a separate stage. Check your issued hearing package for the actual date. Keep tenancy and strata correspondence in separately labelled folders.
Use a short, non-confidential summary to begin. We can discuss the documents needed for review; contacting us does not itself create a lawyer-client relationship.
