Tenant Rights 101: A Student Guide to Renting in Victoria, BC.

Finding affordable housing on and off-campus is becoming increasingly difficult for post-secondary students in Victoria, BC. In Summer 2017, VIPIRG carried out a mixed-methods study from June 2017 to August 2017 on student housing in Victoria. The study involved a quantitative survey of 386 post-secondary students from the University of Victoria, Camosun College, and Royal Roads University, along with interviews.

We found that the majority of students are living well below the poverty line. Students reported that finding housing in Victoria is extremely difficult due to high rent, lack of housing, high competition, and illegal and discriminatory practices by property owners/managers. Students were taken advantage of, evicted for illegitimate reasons, and faced discrimination, among other disturbing experiences. 

Rather than waiting for other institutions to act on these pressing issues, VIPIRG decided to conduct information sessions on tenancy rights to empower students and community members to advocate for themslves and live and thrive with dignity in Victoria, BC. Along with the workshops we felt it was important to create an easy-to-use and readable guide which provides basic information on tenancy rights and responsibilities in Victoria. We hope you find the guide useful and we welcome feedback on this and any other initiative by VIPIRG.

Read the publication here!