Details
The residential rental standards database is designed to assist renters in making more informed decisions about rental properties in the city, and to motivate property owners and landlords to keep their properties in good order for renters.
What types of rental properties are included in the database?
The database includes information on all licensed rental buildings in Vancouver with five or more residential units.
This includes:
- Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) hotels
- Private rental housing
- Social housing
- Supportive housing units
Both privately and publicly-owned units are included. The database includes information about any open issues, as well as issues that have been addressed and resolved within the past 12 months.
What types of properties are not included?
The database does not include information about:
- Single family homes
- Laneway housing
- Secondary suites
- Duplexes
- Strata buildings
- Buildings that are not licensed rentals
The focus at this time is on larger residential buildings. Other types of rental properties may be considered at a future date.
What information is included in the results?
The database includes the property address, the landlord or property owner’s name, and any unresolved issues. Issues that have been resolved within the last 12 months will also be listed.
The database lists issues related to City by-laws including:
- Standards of maintenance
- Fire safety
- Building safety
- Electrical, plumbing, gas, and sewer
- Signage
- Tree protection
- Untidy premises
- Zoning and development
How can I report a building?
If you believe there is a compliance issue with health and safety bylaws in your building, you should phone 3-1-1, who will report the issue to the approrpriate department to coordinate an inspection. If the inspector finds that there is a violation of a city bylaw, your building will be added to the list.
For additional help with your building, you should also review the Provincial Residential Tenancy Act, which oversees the landlord-tenant relationship.
The Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre produces a Tenant Survival Guide to give tenants a basic understanding of residential tenancy law in BC in English, traditional Chinese, and Spanish.