What if I’m late with my rent?

Your landlord can evict you for not paying rent, even if you are only a few dollars short or one day late. If you receive a 10 day notice to end tenancy for unpaid rent, you have five days to pay up in order to cancel the eviction.

Alternatively, if you have in fact paid your rent, you have five days to apply for dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch. This starts a process so you can prove to an arbitrator you did in fact pay your full rent on time.

If you choose neither of those options within five days of receiving the eviction notice, you will be expected to move out by the 10th day.

We explain the process more fully in our page on residential tenancy, which also covers other topics on your rights as a tenant.