New Residential Tenancy Rules on Fixed-Term Leases and Rent Increases
by Sean Hawkins The B.C. government recently closed a loophole that allowed landlords to insert vacate clauses in fixed-term leases, forcing tenants out of their homes and allowing landlords to impose a large rent increase between leases. Unless the landlord […]
FAQs: The Empty Homes Tax
by Jasmine Fernando and Geoffrey Lim The Empty Homes Tax (EHT) came into effect January 2017 and many of our clients have had questions about what it is and when it applies. Answers to some frequently asked questions about the […]
Province Exempts BC Provincial Nominees from Paying 15% Foreign Buyer’s Property Transfer Tax
by Karen Arscott Non-Canadian citizens or permanent residents pay an additional property transfer tax when acquiring a share in a residential property located in the greater Vancouver area. The tax is payable at 15% of the fair market value of […]
Strata Conversions – Stratifying an Existing Building
by Ben Hagen If you own an un-stratified duplex, triplex, apartment or any other multi-unit residential building and are seeking to transfer the units to purchasers or family members, a strata conversion provides a method of transferring title to the […]
B.C. government raises homeowner grant threshold to $1.6M
by Orla O’Malley Grant thresholds over the years On January 10th, 2017, the B.C. government announced an increase to the homeowner grant threshold by 33% to $1.6 million in an effort to “keep property taxes affordable for families.” As residential […]