As a renter, have you ever had questions you just couldn’t find the answers for?
As a landlord, have you been unsure what your rights are when it comes to your property?
There are so many questions that can come up in a rental agreement, from both sides. The Golden Community Social Services Coop hosted an information session on Wednesday, July 10 to address these questions and concerns.
The presentation covered topics from eviction and ending tenancy to rental agreements and leases, repairs and maintenance, rent increases, how the laws apply to landlords and tenants, and more. The one-hour presentation by the Residential Tenancy Branch of B.C. invited renters and landlords to come together, learn from the presentation, and ask their specific questions.
“If there’s more demand, we will be able to offer more,” explained Breanna Nielsen, Golden Community Social Services Coop social justice advocate.
Around one dozen people were signed up to participate in the presentation, which is capped at a maximum attendance of 15.
“The Residential Tenancy Branch, they offer this all throughout the province,” Nielsen said. “They can cater their presentations to whatever the demand is.”
The presentation is delivered via video calling, since there aren’t any Residential Tenancy Branch representatives in Golden. Nielsen saw the opportunity to host the presentation as a way to get people more educated about what their rights and responsibilities are.
“If people are educated, things can happen more smoothly,” she said.
Most of the clients Nielsen sees in her office are renters, and she says Golden is a “renting type of town.”
Anyone who may be interested in attending another Residential Tenancy Branch presentation can contact the Golden Community Social Services Coop at 250-439-9325.
Nielsen’s role as social justice advocate is to help people in the community access and utilize programs that will help them to live more comfortable lives. Nielsen has worked in this role for just over a year, and has helped many community members access government forms, use Internet and computers, and has pointed them in the right direction for information they need to obtain.
Those who need Nielsen’s assistance can go to www.goldencommunitycoop.com/advocate for more information or call 250-439-9325 to book an appointment.
