VANCOUVER, Nov. 10, 2026: Residents of a 98-unit single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel on the edge of Chinatown and the Downtown Eastside told The Province that running water stopped in mid-September and that the building has also been without heat. According to the report, the landlord entered a settlement agreement with the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) on October 16, committing to restore water to all floors before October 26.
Tenant advocates said that, as of November 6, the deadline had not been met; the paper reported water was back only in the ground-floor pub and some lower rooms. The owners, who bought the building in the spring, told the paper the problems predate their purchase and that they are carrying out repairs. The City of Vancouver said the building's sprinklers and fire alarm are working.
In British Columbia, a landlord cannot cut off a service that is essential to living in a rental unit, and running water and heat are the clearest examples. Here is what the Residential Tenancy Act requires, and the tools it gives tenants and the province.
What does BC law say about water and heat in a rental?
Three sections of the Residential Tenancy Act do most of the work:
- Section 32, the duty to repair. A landlord must provide and maintain the property so it meets the health, safety and housing standards required by law and, given its age, character and location, is suitable for a tenant to live in. The health, safety and housing standards part of that duty applies even if the tenant knew of the problem when they moved in.
- Section 27, essential services. A landlord must not terminate or restrict a service or facility that is essential to using the unit as living accommodation, or one that is a material term of the tenancy agreement. Other services can be cut only with 30 days' written notice on the approved form and a matching rent reduction.
- Section 33, emergency repairs. Damaged or blocked water pipes and plumbing fixtures, and the primary heating system, are named as emergency repairs. The landlord must post or give tenants the name and phone number of a person to call for them.
Most SROs are covered by the Act. It does not apply to vacation or travel accommodation, emergency shelters or transitional housing (s.4), but a room rented as someone's home is a tenancy.
What it means for tenants
A tenant without water or heat can use the emergency repair route. After at least two phone calls to the landlord's emergency contact and a reasonable time for the landlord to act, the tenant may have the repair done and claim the cost with a written account and receipts. If the landlord does not pay it back, the tenant may deduct the amount from rent (s.33(7)). In a large building with a broken water system, that route is rarely practical.
The other route is an application for dispute resolution with the RTB. If an arbitrator finds the landlord in breach, section 65 lets the RTB order repairs, order past or future rent reduced to match the lost value of the tenancy, or have rent paid to the RTB and held in trust to cover the cost of the work. Our guide on getting repairs done when a BC landlord won't act walks through the application.
What it means for landlords
Buying a building with deferred maintenance does not pause the duty to repair: section 32 binds whoever is the landlord now. The RTB can record a settlement as a decision or order (s.64.2), and failing to comply with a decision or order is its own offence, with a fine of up to $5,000 on conviction (s.95(3)). The RTB's compliance unit can also impose administrative penalties of up to $5,000, charged again for every day a breach continues (ss.87.3 and 87.4). Retaliating against a tenant for seeking a remedy is an offence too (s.95(2)).
What to do now
- Landlords: post the emergency repair contact in a visible spot in the building, answer that number, and keep dated records of every work order and contractor visit.
- Tenants: report the problem in writing, keep a log of calls, dates and photos, and keep receipts for anything you pay to cover the gap.
- Both: read the BC basics in what a BC landlord can't do, and find more in the landlord and tenant resource centres.
Put repair requests in writing
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