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Few things feel more uncomfortable than telling a tenant they have to leave.. Sometimes as a landlord you have no choice. The first step is always the same: you must deliver an eviction notice to tenant. I have been through this process times than I care to count. I want to help you get it right. Today you and I will walk through every type of eviction notice. We will cover the requirements and the costly mistakes you need to avoid. By the end you will feel confident handling the toughest situations. What Is an Eviction Notice to Tenant. Why Is It So Important? Let me start with the basics. An eviction notice to tenant is a written document. It informs a renter that they must move out by a date. It is not a court order. It is the first legal step in ending a tenancy. In most of Canada, including Alberta and BC you cannot simply tell a tenant to leave. You cannot change the locks. Throw their belongings out. You must use the eviction letter to tenant that follows provincial laws. I have seen landlords lose thousands in fines. They skipped this step. Used the wrong form. The eviction notice is your shield. Use it properly. The law protects you. Use it wrong. You could end up paying damages to the tenant. The Most Common Reasons You Need to Serve an Eviction Notice You cannot evict a tenant just because you feel like it. The law gives reasons. The common reason is non-payment of rent. If a tenant does not pay on time you can serve an eviction notice to tenant. This can happen soon as the day after rent was due. Another reason is damage to the property. If a tenant punches holes in walls or floods the bathroom you can act. Illegal activity on the premises like drug dealing is also grounds. If the tenant repeatedly disturbs tenants or ignores the lease rules you may issue an eviction letter to tenant. Each reason has notice periods and forms. I always tell landlords to keep a checklist. Know why you are evicting before you write a word. The Different Types of Eviction Notices and When to Use Each One Let me break down the common eviction notices. For non-payment of rent you typically serve a 14-day eviction notice to tenant. This gives the tenant two weeks to pay or move out. If they pay within those 14 days the eviction stops. If they do not you can apply to a tribunal for a possession order. For cause evictions, like damage or illegal acts the notice period is often 30 days. Sometimes it is less depending on the severity. For no-fault evictions, such as when you need to move into the property yourself the notice period is usually two months. You may owe the tenant compensation. The eviction process varies by province. In Alberta you use the RTDRS forms. In BC you use Residential Tenancy Branch forms. Never guess. Always download the eviction letter to tenant from your provincial government website. How to Serve an Eviction Notice Properly So It Holds Up in Court Serving the notice is as important as the content. You cannot just slide it under the door. Send a text message. The law requires service. In provinces you can hand the eviction notice to tenant directly to the tenant in person. You can also leave it with an adult at the unit if the tenant is not home. Some provinces allow mail or posting on the door with a witness. I recommend using methods. Hand-deliver it take a photo of the notice on the door. Send it by certified mail. Keep records. I once had a tenant claim they never received the eviction letter to tenant. Because I had a signed delivery receipt and a witness photo the tribunal ruled in my favor. Documentation is everything. What Happens After You Serve an Eviction Notice: The Step-by-Step Process You served the notice. Now what? You wait. If the tenant moves out by the deadline the eviction process ends. If they stay you must apply to your tenancy authority for an order of possession. In Alberta you file with the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service. In BC you file with the Residential Tenancy Branch. You will need to provide a copy of the eviction notice to tenant, proof of service and evidence of the reason. The authority will schedule a hearing. You and the tenant both get to tell your side. If the adjudicator agrees with you they issue an order of possession. That order gives you the right to evict. You still cannot remove the tenant yourself. You must then hire a bailiff or sheriff to physically remove them. The whole eviction notice process from start to finish can take one to four months. Common Mistakes Landlords Make With Eviction Notices I have seen many errors. Mistake one: using the form. Each province has eviction letter to tenant templates. Using an internet form can void the entire eviction. Mistake two: filling out the form incorrectly. Wrong dates, names, wrong address. Mistake three: serving the notice improperly. Mistake four: accepting rent after serving an eviction notice to tenant. In provinces accepting any rent resets the clock. You lose your grounds for eviction. Mistake five: trying to evict for a reason like the tenant complained about repairs. That is illegal. Mistake six: doing a self-help eviction. Changing locks shutting off utilities or removing doors is an offense in most provinces. Avoid these mistakes. Your eviction will go smoothly. How to Handle an Eviction Notice When the Tenant Fights Back Sometimes tenants dispute the eviction notice to tenant. They may claim the notice was not properly served.. They may say the reason is unfair. They may claim they paid rent on time. At the hearing you will need evidence. Bring your lease your rent records, photos of damage witness statements and proof of service. Stay calm 10

Raising rent is one of the stressful tasks for any landlord. You need to keep up with rising costs. You also do not want to scare away your best tenants. I have managed hundreds of units and I have learned that a rent increase does not have to end a good relationship with your tenants. Today you and I will talk about how to handle rent increases effectively with your tenants. You will learn the rules, the best timing and the human side of the conversation with your tenants. Know the Legal Rules for Rent Increases in Your Province Before you do anything you need to understand the law in your province. In British Columbia you can only raise rent once every 12 months. The increase is capped by the provincial government each year. In Alberta there is no cap. You still can only raise rent once per year for existing tenants. In Ontario there is a guideline increase unless the unit is exempt. You must give written notice to your tenants. In provinces that is three months. I have seen landlords lose disputes because they gave 60 days of 90. A rent increase that breaks the rules is void. Your tenant can simply refuse to pay it. You cannot evict them. Check your provincial tenancy act before you write a number for the rent increase. Why a Fair Rent Increase Actually Helps Your Tenants You might think tenants always hate rent increases. That is not entirely true. A reasonable predictable increase helps your tenant plan their budget. It also ensures you can afford to maintain the property for your tenants. If you never raise rent you will eventually fall behind on repairs. Then your tenant lives in a deteriorating home. A small annual increase of 2 to 4 percent is easier to swallow than a 15 percent jump after five years of no changes. I always tell my tenants during lease signing that I raise rent modestly each year. They appreciate the transparency. A rent increase done builds trust, not anger, with your tenants. How to Calculate a Fair and Defensible Rent Increase Do not just pick a number out of air. Look at market comparables. What are similar units in your neighborhood renting for? If you are charging $1,500 and the market average is $1,800 you have room to move up. If you are already at market rate stick to the guideline or a small percentage. Also consider your increased costs. Property taxes went up. Insurance went up. Utilities cost more. Add up those increases and divide by the number of units. That gives you a baseline. A rent increase of $25 per month on a $1,500 rent is 1.6 percent. Most tenants will not leave over that. The Best Time to Announce a Rent Increase Timing matters enormously. Never announce a rent increase during the holidays. When a tenant is going through a personal crisis. The best time is 90 days before the lease renewal date, which’s also the legal notice period in many provinces. Send the notice after the tenant has had a month not after a maintenance complaint. I also recommend not raising rent in the year of a tenancy. That feels bait and switch. Wait until the year.. If a tenant has been perfect for three or four years consider skipping an increase once in a while as a thank you to your tenants. That loyalty bonus often keeps them for another three years. How to Write a Rent Increase Letter That Keeps the Peace Your rent increase letter should be warm, clear and professional. Start by thanking the tenant for being great. Then explain the reason briefly. “Due to increased property taxes and insurance costs I need to adjust the rent by $30 per month starting on date.” Include the notice period and the new rent amount. Offer to discuss if they have concerns. Do not apologize excessively. That makes you look weak.. Do not be cold either. I use a template that says, “I value you as a tenant and I have kept this increase low as possible.” Most tenants accept a rent increase when it is presented respectfully by their landlord. What to Do When a Tenant Says No or Wants to Negotiate Sometimes a tenant will push back. They may say they cannot afford it or they will move. Listen first. If they are a tenant consider negotiating with them. Offer a $15 increase of $30.. Offer to delay the increase by three months.. Offer to add a service like professional carpet cleaning once a year. The cost of finding a tenant is high. You lose one month rent on vacancy. Advertising, screening and cleaning. That can easily cost $2,000. If a rent increase of $360 per year risks losing that you might be better off keeping them happy. I have kept tenants by compromising with them. How to Avoid Rent Increase Disputes and Bad Feelings The way to avoid conflict is to set expectations early. When a new tenant signs the lease tell them “I raise rent once a year by an amount, typically 2 to 3 percent.” That is no surprise. Also never raise rent after a big problem like a broken dishwasher or a noisy neighbor. That looks like retaliation. Spread out your increases. If you skipped year do not double up this year.. Always give more notice than required. Three months is the minimum. Giving four or five months shows respect to your tenants. A rent increase should never be a surprise. Conclusion You now know how to handle rent increases without losing tenants. Know the law calculate an amount time it well write a warm letter and be open to negotiation, with your tenants. Your best tenants are worth keeping. A small predictable rent increase each year keeps your business healthy and your tenants happy. I have used these methods for years. They work. Now go raise that rent with confidence. Frequently Asked Questions 10

You signed a lease. Moved in. Everything seemed fine until a problem came up over repairs or deposits. Then you realized your tenancy agreement document in British Columbia was missing some parts. As a company that manages properties in Vancouver, British Columbia Green Casa has seen this happen many times. Today we will look at what happens when a tenancy agreement in British Columbia does not have some terms. You will learn about the risks, the consequences, and how to protect yourself whether you are a landlord or a tenant. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have a Rent Payment Part It Leads to Confusion Imagine your tenancy agreement document in British Columbia does not clearly say when rent is due or how to pay it. Your tenant pays by e-transfer on the fifth. You thought it was due on the first. You charge a fee but the tenant says there is no written rule. Under the law in British Columbia if your agreement does not say anything the rent is due on the day of each month. However you cannot charge a fee unless the agreement says so. Without that part you cannot charge anything. I have seen landlords lose a lot of money because their tenancy agreement in British Columbia forgot to include a late fee part. Do not let that happen to you. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have a Security Deposit Part You Cannot Ask for a Deposit This surprises landlords. The law in British Columbia says a landlord cannot ask for a security deposit unless the tenancy agreement has a part that says how much it is and how it will be returned. If your rental agreement document in British Columbia does not say anything about deposits you have no right to ask for one. Even if the tenant paid you money voluntarily they could ask for it back away. A proper tenancy agreement in British Columbia must say how much the deposit is, that it cannot be than half a months rent and that you need to do an inspection when the tenant moves in to make any deductions. Forgetting this part is a mistake. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have a Pet Deposit Part You Might Be Liable You allow pets. You forget to put a pet deposit part in your agreement. Later your tenants big dog scratches all the floors. You want to deduct from the security deposit. The tenant says that since there was no pet deposit agreement you accepted the risk of pet damage. The people who make decisions about tenancies in British Columbia might agree with the tenant. Without a pet deposit part in your tenancy agreement in British Columbia you cannot ask for extra money for pet-related damage. You can only use the security deposit, which might not be enough. A company that manages properties in Vancouver British Columbia always includes a pet deposit part with rules about what kind of pets are allowed. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have a Repair Responsibility Part, It Leads to Arguments Who fixes the faucet? Who replaces the window? When your tenancy agreement document in British Columbia does not say who is responsible for repairs arguments happen. The tenant thinks you should fix everything. You think the tenant broke the window. Without a part the law in British Columbia says the landlord is responsible for all repairs except those caused by the tenants negligence.. It is hard to prove negligence without a written part. I suggest including a part that says the tenant must report any damage within 48 hours and that the tenant is responsible for repairs that cost less than $150. This small addition saves a lot of headaches. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have an Entry Part It Invades the Tenants Privacy. Invites Complaints Who fixes the faucet? Who replaces the window? When your tenancy agreement document in British Columbia does not say who is responsible for repairs arguments happen. The tenant thinks you should fix everything. You think the tenant broke the window. Without a part the law in British Columbia says the landlord is responsible for all repairs except those caused by the tenants negligence.. It is hard to prove negligence without a written part. I suggest including a part that says the tenant must report any damage within 48 hours and that the tenant is responsible for repairs that cost less than $150. This small addition saves a lot of headaches. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have an Entry Part It Invades the Tenants Privacy. Invites Complaints Landlords need to enter units for inspections, repairs and showings. Tenants have a right to privacy. The law in British Columbia says you need to give 24 hours written notice before entering. Your tenancy agreement in British Columbia can add more details. For example you can say that routine inspections will happen every six months with 24 hours notice. You can say that showing the unit to tenants requires 24 hours notice during the last month of the tenancy. Without these parts tenants might refuse to let you in or file complaints. A company that manages properties in Vancouver British Columbia makes sure every tenancy agreement in British Columbia has an entry part that balances both parties rights. If Your Tenancy Agreement Does Not Have a Move-Out Inspection Part You Might Lose Your Deposit This is the trap. Under the law in British Columbia, a landlord cannot keep any part of a security deposit unless a move-in inspection report has been completed and signed by both parties. If your tenancy agreement document in British Columbia does not mention the inspection process you might forget to do it. Then when the tenant moves out and leaves damage you cannot deduct anything. The people who make decisions about tenancies in British Columbia will order you to return the full deposit plus possible penalties. I have seen landlords lose a lot of money because they 10