No. You must still pay your rent or you could get evicted. However, if the repair is not for damages done by you (or your guests) the landlord is generally responsible for it. If writing to your landlord does not cause him/her to make the necessary repairs, you have the right to take legal action through the Residential Tenancy Branch.

Good starting points include:

• The Tenant Survival Guide, from the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, includes a chapter on "Repair and Services".
• During a Tenancy, from the provincial government, has a section on repairs and maintenance.
• LSLAP Manual: Landlord and Tenant Law, from the UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program, provides a section on "Repair and Service" which includes "Withholding Rent".

For more information on tenants' rights and responsibilities, contact the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre (TRAC) Tenant Info Line.

See our related common questions:

• I’m representing myself at a landlord/tenant hearing
• My tenants are causing problems
• See all common questions about housing, tenancy & neighbours

 

tags

repairs, tenants' rights, landlords, paying rent, landlord-tenant disputes, Residential Tenancy Branch