The province has released details on the new rent repayment framework, with the moratorium on evictions for non-payment of rent set to expire Sept. 1.
The rent repayment framework, available on the Residential Tenancy Branch’s (RTB) website, will “protect renters by ensuring they cannot be evicted for a missed or late rent repayment…unless a renter defaults on their repayment plan,” according to the province.
Last month, the provincial government announced that renters will be expected to pay rent in full on Sept. 1, and renters with outstanding rent payments from March 18 to Aug. 17 will have until at least July 2021 to pay back what they owe.
The first repayments will not start until October at the earliest.
The terms of the repayment plan must include:
- Amount of outstanding rent
- Start date of the repayment plan
- Amount of each installment
- Dates for each installment
The repayment installments must begin at least 30 days after the date that the landlord gives the plan to the renter.
The plan must also give renters until July 2021 to repay the amount owed, unless the landlord and renter agree to a longer repayment period.
And while the rent will be paid back in equal installments, the province says that renters and landlords have the option of agreeing to smaller amounts being paid each month, in the beginning of the repayment process.
The installments must also be paid on the same date that rent is due.
Meanwhile, landlords are temporarily prohibited from increasing rent until December 2020. According to the province, if a renter has been issued a notice of rent increase for an earlier date, they shouldn’t pay the increase and instead continue to pay their current amount until December.
The Temporary Rental Supplement also remains available until Aug. 31.
To date, the supplement has assisted over 86,000 households with paying their rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Renters still experiencing a loss of income may also qualify for the Rental Assistance Program or the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters – programs which provide ongoing rental subsidies to low- and moderate-income families and seniors.
