B.C. tenant forfeits deposit and paid rent in rental dispute over gross bedroom
An acting landlord was forced to evict a B.C. renter from his room in the middle of the month, and he responded with a legal fight that he had little chance of winning.
According to the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal, the applicant, SL, had rented a room from the respondent, AW.
SL claims that AW evicted him in the middle of the month, and claimed $625 for half a month’s rent and $700 for his security deposit.
AW responded by saying she was permitted to evict SL because of his behaviour, and that she was permitted to keep the deposit for cleaning and repairs. She also filed a counterclaim stating that a new occupant couldn’t move in for weeks because of the condition that SL left the room in. So, she claimed $662.50 for half a month’s rent.
According to the tribunal, it was unclear when SL moved into the room, but the agreement stated he’d move in on Feb. 1 or March 1, 2024.
The tribunal said that a conflict developed soon after SL moved in. In one instance, he refused to mow the lawn even though it was his turn. In a separate incident, a text message indicated SL drank another occupant’s coffee and beer without permission.
AW provided notes to the tribunal, which included more issues relating to SL. Some suggested he didn’t do his chores or that he touched other occupants’ laundry. It was also claimed that SL sent disrespectful texts and used shampoo that wasn’t his. SL didn’t deny the allegations nor that he was warned about his behaviour.
When the actual landlords came to visit to deal with a Wi-Fi issue, they wrote statements indicating they noticed garbage and a bad smell in SL’s room. They’d also asked SL to clean the room.
On May 15, 2024, AW messaged SL that the landlords wanted him to clean his room within 24 hours. SL responded using offensive language and basically said he was going to move out by the end of the month and would not clean the room.
That same night, one of the landlords confronted SL and told him to leave the home. SL called the police. A police report states that an officer mediated an agreement that forced SL to move out. Police also helped him retrieve his belongings.
The tribunal determined that SL was not entitled to a rent refund because the roommate agreement was terminated.
On the note of the deposit, AW provided photos and videos showing the state of SL’s room and that it was attracting ants. The other occupants and both landlords also provided statements saying that the room was unclean, and the tribunal accepted all the evidence as such.
The tribunal dismissed all monetary claims and counterclaims for both the acting B.C. landlord and renter.