A Penticton landlord is calling for faster action at the BC Residential Tenancy Branch after struggling to evict a non-paying tenant. Rob Perret bought a house on Churchill Avenue and claimed one of his tenants stopped paying rent in September, using a dispute with the RTB to bide his time. “He agrees on delays and timing with the rental housing board,” Perret said. “Well, he’s been here three months now, going up to four months without paying rent. So I’m looking forward to it, but in the meantime, I’m paying rent for myself and his rent.” Perret discovered his tenant had also filed a dispute with the RTB in August over a fence Perret claimed took too long to build. This hearing date does not begin until mid-December. Perret had planned to move back into the house and issued the tenant with two months’ notice. He later served him again for unpaid rent, which he was told would take at least two months to be decided by the RTB. Meanwhile, Perret claims that his tenant caused extensive damage to the house, brought in tenants who were not on the lease, and accumulated an enormous amount of trash. Videos from Perret who visited the home with a police escort last week show dog feces left on the floor, piles of items on the main floor and in the basement, along with dozens of bicycles. “The biggest problem I have with this dispute from the tenant is that it is between him and me and the housing board. The other four people have absolutely no right to be here. They are squatters and I have no way to get rid of them right now. So it’s a difficult situation,” he said. The biggest frustration for Perret is that he says he can’t do anything about it but wait for the decision. “The time frame doesn’t work. If they don’t have enough people to regulate housing and rents, then they need to step up. They cannot expect a landlord or tenant to wait months for a decision. I mean, normally rent is a monthly thing. You can’t wait two or three months for something to happen.” “That’s how people lose their homes.” In a statement to Castanet, the Department of Housing said the high volume of applications is resulting in delays for landlords and tenants applying to dispute, with an estimated waiting time of 16 weeks for regular hearings. In the meantime, Perret is stuck without income from his tenants. “We understand the frustration of tenants and landlords who are eager to find a solution to their issue. Dispute resolution waiting times vary and the Branch prioritizes applications so that urgent matters are heard first. Once the hearings are completed, decisions are issued within 30 days,” the ministry’s announcement reads. “The RTB is currently dealing with a high volume of applications, averaging 1,832 applications per month in 2022 and 1,689 applications per month in 2021, compared to 1,496 per month between 2018 and 2020. This means the process is taking longer. “The RTB has introduced several initiatives to reduce waiting times for hearings, improve citizens’ access to services and make its processes fairer and more efficient for landlords and tenants.” Perret said he was also able to apply to the RTB only thanks to the help of his niece and wants to see a less complicated system that includes seniors like himself who may not be computer literate. “If I didn’t have an advocate working for me, I probably wouldn’t be able to go through with the procedure. I can build roads and bridges, but I’m not very good with computers.” The RTB said that if a citizen faces difficulties in applying for online dispute resolution, he can seek help. “While the online application is the fastest way to apply for dispute resolution, citizens can also complete a paper application and submit it in person at any Service BC Office or RTB Office in Burnaby.” With the loss of rent and the damage done to the home, Perret estimated he has a $20,000 loss so far. “It’s very difficult. It’s hard. And eventually, if it takes too long, you can very easily run out of money depending on how financially secure you are.” Perret said he’s sharing his story to hopefully change that. “[The process] it needs to be reviewed, to make sure it’s fair to both sides, tenants and landlords.”
