B.C. Reduces Eviction Notice Period for Sold Properties

The NDP government is reducing the eviction notice period for landlords selling their property following feedback from the housing industry, which argued that the new rules hinder homebuyers from purchasing tenanted properties.

On Thursday, the B.C. housing ministry announced that the notice period required when a landlord issues an eviction notice on behalf of a buyer will be reduced to three months, down from four, and the dispute period will be shortened from 30 days to 21 days.

These changes will take effect on August 21.

This adjustment comes about a month after new government regulations addressing bad-faith evictions were implemented on July 18. Under those regulations, landlords and buyers had to provide tenants with four months’ notice, up from the previous two months, for personal-use evictions.

However, the four-month notice period created challenges for homebuyers, especially first-time buyers using a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation program, which requires the property to be vacant at the time of possession. It also impacted buyers whose mortgage holds expired before the closing date.

The new three-month notice period only applies when the property is being sold. Landlords intending to move into the rental property or have a close family member move in must still provide four months' notice for personal-use evictions. Tenants will continue to have 30 days to dispute the notice.

The person moving into the home must live in it for at least 12 months.

The housing ministry also noted that waiting times for fast-tracked disputes, such as those over unpaid rent and utilities, have decreased from 10.5 weeks in February to just over four weeks in May, allowing for quicker resolutions for landlords.