Woman looks out window, worried about eviction from the suite she rents in Vancouver.

Recent Changes Leave Tenants at Risk of Eviction

BySpraggs Law Posted on

Each month Spraggs Law publishes Vancouver Legal News, a curated selection of articles about legal issues being discussed in the news. This month we start off with stories about recent amendments to tenant eviction protections, COVID-related employment dilemmas, and B.C courts’ plan for resuming court activities. 

A tenant looking from the window of her trendy apartment.

Changes to Residential Tenancy Protections Put Tenants at Risk of Eviction 

Tenant protections that limit landlords’ ability to evict tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic are being revised. The changes grant B.C. landlords more leeway when it comes to issuing eviction orders and entering rental properties without tenants’ consent. While renters are still protected from being evicted due to their inability to pay rent, the rapid changes are placing some tenants at risk of eviction with insufficient time to secure alternative shelter.

A professionally dressed man reviewing his employment contract.
Pandemic-Related Job Loss Predicaments Create More Questions than Answers

A lack of clear answers from the provincial government is creating confusion about whether employers in B.C. can use the pandemic as a reason for denying employees severance pay. Previous employees of a major hotel chain received letters from their employer, which notified them of their termination and used the pandemic to absolve the company of its duty to provide severance packages. 

A North Vancouver man’s license to practice nursing in B.C. was suspended following accusations about his failure to adhere to PPE protocols around residents. The situation begs the question as to whether or not the staff is receiving adequate training on new, stricter PPE protocols that are designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 between patients and staff. 

The upper portion of Our Lady Justice bronze statue.

B.C Courts are Cautiously Reopening and Vancouver’s Arbitration Centre Seeks to Help With the Workload

On July 13th, the Provincial Court of British Columbia announced its plans to resume court operations and outlined how trials will be scheduled and conducted in the coming weeks. For trials related to civil matters, the B.C. Commercial Arbitration Centre is prepared to help with the backlog of cases.

What Do You Think?

Do you have any questions about residential tenancy law for the team at Spraggs? We’d love to hear from you. Contact one of our lawyers in Vancouver today.

Please note: This article does not contain legal advice. If you would like advice on your specific situation, please contact Spraggs Law.