Statement from BC ACORN on Landlord Use Eviction Victory

BC ACORN is pleased to hear that the provincial government is taking action to prohibit bad faith landlord-use evictions in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units. These evictions have long been a scourge on tenant communities across the province, causing undue stress and displacement. While it’s unfortunate that many tenants have already lost their affordable homes, this move will provide much-needed protection for those moving forward. However, there’s still much work to be done to address the massive power imbalance between tenants and landlords. The BC Government must continue to prioritize tenant protection to ensure fair and equitable housing for all.

The legislative and regulatory changes announced today by Premier Eby and Minister Kahlon will:

– make a clear prohibition for a landlord to give frivolous notices to end tenancy
– prohibit conversion of rental units to specific non-residential uses, such as short-term rental accommodation or storage
– prescribe increased amounts of compensation for evicting long-term tenants for landlord use
– prohibit personal occupancy evictions in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units
– increase the landlord’s occupancy period from six months to 12 months
– Add processes to require landlords to report evictions to the ministry to track the frequency of landlord-use evictions and allow for post-eviction audits

BC ACORN will be active to ensure the province follows through on all of these commitments. Additionally, BC ACORN will continue its push to be a formal stakeholder with the Ministry of Housing and the Residential Tenancy Branch so that actual tenants can have a seat at the table, and not just tenant advocates.