Your BC landlord has to keep your home in good repair.
In BC, keeping the place safe and working is your landlord's job, not a favour. There's a fast track for true emergencies and a separate path for everything else. Using the right one, and getting it in writing, is what gets things fixed.
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In 30 seconds, here's what's true
- Your landlord has to keep the home meeting health, safety, and housing standards, and fit to live in. That covers heating, hot water, electricity, working locks, sound walls and floors, and controlling pests like bed bugs.
- You handle the small stuff: changing light bulbs, taking out garbage, cleaning minor mould on windowsills and tubs, and repairing any damage you, your guests, or your pets cause.
- Emergency repairs are treated differently. To count, the repair must be urgent, needed for health or safety, AND about one of: major leaks in pipes or the roof, blocked or broken water or sewer pipes, the main heating system, broken locks, or the electrical system.
- For a real emergency, after you've made two tries to reach the landlord's emergency number and given a reasonable wait, you can arrange the repair yourself at a fair cost, then get paid back. Keep every receipt.
- For normal repairs, ask in writing. If the landlord ignores you, you can apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) for an order to do the repairs, money for the trouble, or a rent reduction.
The steps your landlord must follow
Ask in writing and keep a copy
Put your repair request in writing, even if you've already asked in person. Say what's wrong and when. Keep a dated copy, and take a few photos or a short video of the problem. TRAC has a free template repair letter you can use. A paper trail is what makes the later steps work.
Decide if it's an emergency
It's an emergency repair only if it's urgent, it's needed for someone's health or safety, and it's one of the listed things: a major pipe or roof leak, blocked or broken water or sewer pipes, the main heating system, broken locks, or the electrical system. No heat in winter counts. A dripping tap usually doesn't.
Emergency path: two calls, then act
For a true emergency, call the landlord's emergency number at least twice and give a reasonable amount of time for them to act. If they still don't fix it, you can arrange the repair at a reasonable cost. Then send the landlord the receipts and a short written summary of what happened. If they won't pay you back, you can take the cost off your rent, though the landlord can challenge it if it wasn't really an emergency or the cost was too high.
Non-emergency path: apply to the RTB
If it's not an emergency and the landlord ignores your written request, apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch. An arbitrator can order the repairs done, order money for the inconvenience, or lower your rent to reflect that you can't fully use your home. You don't need a lawyer to apply.
Don't take shortcuts that backfire
Don't just stop paying rent, and don't hire someone and bill the landlord on your own, except through the emergency route above. Doing either can get you an eviction notice or leave you stuck with the bill. Get free help from the RTB, TRAC's Tenant Infoline, or People's Law School.
What to do next
- Put your repair request in writing and keep a dated copy.
- Take photos or a short video of the problem.
- Check if it's an emergency: urgent, a health or safety risk, and one of the listed systems (pipes, roof, water or sewer, main heat, locks, electrical).
- For an emergency, call the landlord's emergency number at least twice and give a reasonable time to act.
- If they don't act, arrange the emergency repair at a reasonable cost and keep all receipts.
- Send the landlord the receipts and a short written summary of what happened.
- For a non-emergency, apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch for a repair order or a rent reduction.
- Get free help from the RTB (1-800-665-8779), TRAC's Tenant Infoline, or People's Law School.
Common myths
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| I can just stop paying rent until it's fixed. | No. Holding back rent on your own can get you a 10 Day Notice for unpaid rent. The right move is a written request, then an application to the Residential Tenancy Branch. |
| I can fix it myself and take it off the rent any time. | Only for a true emergency, and only after you've made two tries to reach the landlord's emergency number and waited a reasonable time. For anything else you need the landlord's written okay first. |
| My landlord only has to fix things I didn't break. | Mostly. The landlord isn't responsible for damage you, your pets, or your guests cause. But they do have to fix normal wear and tear and keep the heat, water, and electrical working. |
| A quick text asking for repairs is good enough. | Put it in writing and keep a copy. A clear written request with a date is far easier to prove later if you have to go to the Residential Tenancy Branch. |
| No heat in the middle of winter isn't an emergency. | It is. The main heating system is on BC's list of emergency repairs, so the faster two-call process applies. |
| The RTB takes forever, so there's no point. | You can ask the Residential Tenancy Branch for a repair order or a rent reduction, and true emergencies have a faster self-help route you can use right away. |
| My landlord can just ignore a pest problem. | No. In BC the landlord has to control infestations, including bed bugs, as part of keeping the home fit to live in. |
| A bit of mould on my window is the landlord's problem. | Minor mould on windowsills, tubs, and showers is usually yours to clean. But bigger or spreading moisture points to a repair the landlord has to deal with. |
Last reviewed July 2026
Written and reviewed by the founder of PLAIN, checked against primary government and legal sources. How we research these guides
Sources
PLAIN gives legal information, not legal advice. It is not a substitute for a lawyer or paralegal — and we'll point you to free ones. Laws change; we review these pages regularly, but always confirm current rules with the Residential Tenancy Branch.
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