Leasing a residential or commercial property can lend itself to a host of legal issues. Our Rental Property Group provides a wide range of litigation and solicitor services for commercial and residential rental properties. We regularly assist rental property owners, rental property managers, landlords, tenants and their agents throughout British Columbia, Ontario and across Canada.

Our Expertise

Our team is experienced in a broad range of issues facing rental properties. Our lawyers are published authors and instructors for the Condominium Home Owners’ Association (CHOA) and the Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA). We are also regular speakers at Buildex Vancouver, Western Canada’s largest seminar program for professionals in Designing, Building and Real Estate Management. Our lawyers have also earned significant recognition in the legal industry, and have been a legal resource for various print and television media publications. We have also assisted in the development and delivery of courses for strata property managers and rental property managers at Vancouver Community College and the UBC Sauder School of Business (Real Estate Division).

Our Services

The Rental Property Practice Group offers a variety of solicitor and litigation services to landlords, tenants or their agents of residential properties.

Our team has extensive experience in solicitors’ matters, including:

  • Preparing and reviewing purchase agreements
  • Reviewing and advising on rental property purchases
  • Preparing and reviewing residential tenancy agreements
  • Preparing and reviewing rental management service agreements

Our team also offers dispute resolution services and representation in the following litigation matters:

  • Human Rights complaints
  • Privacy complaints
  • Civil Resolution Tribunal disputes
  • BC Provincial and Supreme Court proceedings
  • Residential Tenancy Act hearings
  • Judicial reviews and appellate proceedings

Industry Involvement

Our team’s contributions to the rental property management industry is demonstrated by our near-monthly speaking engagements and publications, and extensive community involvement. We regularly provide seminars on residential tenancy law issues to rental property owners and managers across British Columbia. We have been featured speakers and instructors for the Real Estate Council, the Condominium Home Owners’ Association (CHOA), the Professional Association of Managing Agents (PAMA), Vancouver Community College, Langara College, UBC Sauder School of Business (Real Estate Division) and the British Columbia Arbitration and Mediation Institute (BCAMI). We are also regular instructors at BUILDEX Vancouver, Western Canada’s largest seminar program for professionals in Designing, Building and Real Estate Management. One of our lawyers has also been featured in  The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory in the field of Property Leasing.

Our lawyers are also involved in legal education initiatives for the Vancouver Bar Association (2014 Strata Property Law for Solo & Small Firm Section), Law Courts Center (2014 Residential Tenancy Seminar for Amici Curiae Lectures), and the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC (2017 Strata Property Law Update; 2018 Strata Property Act Update;2019 Strata Property Practice Manual). Our team has also regularly written for property management publications, (Canadian Property Management, Legal Life Newsletter, CHOA Journal, and the Canadian Condominium Institute).

Networks & Affiliations

Representative Matters

We regularly assist clients with disputes before the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Branch, British Columbia Provincial Court (Small Claims), British Columbia Supreme Court and British Columbia Court of Appeal, including bringing and defending actions and petitions. We also assist clients with human rights complaints, privacy disputes, employment disputes, defamation matters and arbitrations. We are familiar with the unique complexities of disputes involving multi-unit housing, and we work with our clients to decide the most efficient approach to their particular issue. Our notable cases include:

  • Ganitano v. Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation 2014 BCCA 10
  • Kamerling v. Chew 2015 BCSC 881
  • Berezowski v. British Columbia (Residential Tenancy Branch) 2014 BCSC 363
  • Jay v. The Owners Strata Plan NW 3353, 2018 BCSC 780
  • The Owners Strata Plan NW 2575 v. Booth, 2020 BCCA 153
  • Metro Vancouver (Regional District) v Belcarra South Preservation Society, 2020 BCSC 662

Our Litigation Work

Our lawyers are experienced in a broad range of issues that call for dispute resolution. We regularly assist clients with disputes before the British Columbia Residential Tenancy Branch, British Columbia Provincial Court (Small Claims), British Columbia Supreme Court, British Columbia Court of Appeal, and British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. We also assist clients with privacy disputes, defamation matters and arbitrations.