Richmond landlord ordered to pay former tenant $36,700

A Richmond landlord has been ordered to pay a former tenant $36,700 after the Residential Tenancy Branch found the landlord did not follow through on a stated plan to move into the rental home.

Tenant J.W. began renting a home near Moncton Street and Railway Avenue from landlord X.L. on July 10, 2021. On Aug. 9, 2024, J.W. received four months’ notice to end the tenancy by Dec. 9. The landlord said the unit was needed because the landlord and children were returning to Canada.

J.W. challenged the eviction, but an RTB decision dated Oct. 24, 2024 dismissed the challenge and the tenant moved out by Dec. 9.

At a July 1, 2026 hearing, the tenant’s agent said neither the landlord nor a close family member had occupied the property for more than a year after the tenancy ended. The RTB ruling says the tenant’s family visited about 12 times between April 15 and Nov. 15, 2025 and observed no answers at the door, no vehicles in the driveway and no visible signs that the home was occupied.

Arbitrator H. Mau found that the landlord had not accomplished the purpose given for ending the tenancy within a reasonable time, or used the unit for that purpose for at least one year. The landlord did not attend the hearing or submit a response, leaving the arbitrator unable to assess whether extenuating circumstances existed. The award equals 12 months’ rent plus a $100 filing fee.