Finding a place to rent in Prince George for less than $1,000 per month isn’t easy and sometimes the costs are higher than advertised, due to added fees.
Unfortunately, most monthly fees on top of the rent are perfectly legal, according to lawyer Kyla Lee.
Even passing on fees for garbage and sewer are allowed, she explains.
“Garbage disposal fees are permitted because they are expenses (as city utilities in Prince George),” she says.
Landlords are also able to charge for things like common area cleaning and it effectively forms part of the rent (even if it is indexed as a separate fee). “Usually, these fees are clear from the start when you apply for a tenancy,” adds Lee.
All additional fees should be clearly outlined before a tenancy agreement is even signed. However, if a landlord wants to eliminate free cleaning of common areas or free garbage pickup, for example, that would change a service under the lease and could give rise to a breach of the Residential Tenancy Act depending on notice or the circumstances.