The B.C. provincial government has set up a framework to for tenants to pay back outstanding rent amounts to landlords.
According to a statement from Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Selina Robinson, the province will be lifting the ban on evictions for non-payment of rent on September 1, 2020.
After that, landlords will be required to give tenants until July 2021 to pay back any amounts owing, as long as monthly instalments are paid.
These instalments must begin on October 1, as long as landlords provide their tenants with a repayment plan before the end of August.
“These changes will build on the extension of our Temporary Rent Supplement (TRS) program and give renters until next summer to gradually pay back any unpaid rent to help them maintain their housing, while also continuing the ban on rent increases until December,” said Minister Robinson in a statement.
The TRS, a rental supplement of up to $500/month for tenants, was recently extended until the end of August.
In addition to being banned from raising rents until December 2020, landlords will continue to have the ability to restrict access to common spaces when required for COVID-19 related health reasons.
Statistics from the province indicate that 97 per cent of tenants in B.C. continued to pay rent throughout the pandemic, with only 12 per cent making partial payments.
