Whistler Employee Housing Advisory Page

12/17/2025

**Working & Living in Staff Housing in Whistler This Winter? Know Your Rights 🏔️**

As the holiday season kicks off, WEHAP wants to make sure employees living in **staff housing** understand their **legal tenant rights under BC’s Residential Tenancy Act (RTA).**

Many employers require staff to sign a **“Temporary Licence Agreement.”**

⚠️ Important: **This does NOT remove your tenant rights.** These agreements are **unenforceable in BC** if they try to override the RTA. This was confirmed in a 2021 tenancy dispute hearing.

**Key Rights You Should Know: RTA (Section 48. 2-6)**
• Employers must give **30 days’ notice** to end tenancy (RTB-33 form)
• A **10-day or 24-hour move-out notice is usually illegal**
• Staff housing disputes are **civil matters — not criminal** (RCMP threats = intimidation)
• **Guest restrictions** (like “3 nights per month”) are illegal
• Employers **cannot automatically deduct rent or fines from your pay**
• You can file a **Dispute Resolution** with the RTB if your eviction is illegal — fees can be waived for low income workers. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/solving-problems/tenancy-dispute-resolution

If you’re in staff housing, this info matters.

📩 Have questions? Message **WEHAP**, or reach out to:
• **TRAC** – tenants.bc.ca
• **Vancouver Tenants Union** – vancouvertenantsunion.ca

Know your rights. Share this with your coworkers.

05/08/2023

Shoulder season is upon us and if you currently live in any type of Staff Housing, there are a few things to know if your employment is changing.

1) If you are being laid off and your employer requires you to move out of your staff housing, they need to do the following

- Give you an RTB33 form for one month notice to end tenancy

- provide you with a minimum of 30 days from rent payment. Example, you pay rent at the end of each month. The earliest an employer can evict would be 30 days after this. The notice MUST be served prior to the rent payment, otherwise it is void. If an employer gives you a notice today, 30 days does not start until THE END of the month.

2) If your employer is not giving you a one month notice to end tenancy, file a dispute resolution. This provides temporary housing security and additional time to locate accommodation. Dispute resolutions can take months.

The fee can be waived if you are not working or have low income which is usually the case for the majority of tourism workers here
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/apply-online

Know your tenancy rights as employees living in staff housing.

Information about applying for dispute resolution through the Residential Tenancy Branch in B.C. for landlords and tenants.

11/23/2021

As we head into what promises to be another exciting winter season in Whistler, we here at WEHAP would like to educate the new employees living in staff housing on their legal tenant rights under BC’s Residential Tenancy Act.

If you’ve secured staff housing this season, congratulations! This is one of the hardest challenges to overcome in town, especially this season. You may have been informed of your legal rights as tenants but more common than not, you were made to sign a “Temporary Licence Agreement”. This document explicitly states you are a licensee and not a tenant and attempts to misinform employees of their rights in employee housing.

If you have already signed this, do not be concerned. This document is unenforceable in BC as an attempt to contract out of the Residential Tenancy Act.

Important Tenant Rights for Employees in Staff Housing

1. Employer is required to give at 30 day notice to end tenancy in the form of an RTB33 Form. This means if you are terminated and your employer only gives a 10 day termination of stay, that is illegal.

2. Your employer may state that failure to leave your staff housing is classed as trespassing and the RCMP can be called to arrest you. That is false. Residential Tenancy issues are a civil matter and not a criminal one. This tactic is just to intimidate

3. If you break staff housing policies and they give you 24hrs-10 day Termination of Stay, that is illegal. Unless they can prove immediate danger to other tenants or severe vandalism they must give a 30 day notice to end tenancy

4. Landlord cannot restrict reasonable guest visits. You have the right to enjoyment and use of your space as a tenant. Some employers restrict staff from having guests or limit them to 3 nights a month. That is also illegal.

5. Any fines incurred from behaviour/policy infractions must not be automatically taken out of employee pay checks.

6. If your employer tries to evict you illegally, or if you require more time to find housing you have the right to file a Dispute Resolution with BC’s RTA. A simple online application. You can also get the fee waived if you are classed as lower income which is usually the case if you are living in staff housing.

Your rights/requirements for your employer to end your tenancy can be found on the attached photo and in the link provided. Other relevant links include TRAC (Tenant Resources) information, and how to apply for a Dispute Resolution.

Have questions? Send us a message or reach out to TRAC or the Vancouver Tenants Union.

RTA Section 48 (2-6)
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01

Apply for a Dispute Resolution
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/apply-online

TRAC – Tenant Resources & Advisory Centre
https://tenants.bc.ca/

Vancouver Tenants Union
www.vancouvertenantsunion.ca

05/20/2021

During a BC Tenancy hearing against Whistler Blackcomb in 2021, the company acknowledged its employees were covered under the Residential Tenancy Act. This was a huge victory for all employees living in all staff accommodations in BC.

A precedent was set and now the RTA must be followed by all staff accommodations in BC.

- Licence/User agreements are considered legally binding rental leases.
- One Month Notice to End Tenancy (RTB33) forms must be served to every tenant they wish to end tenancy with
- 10 day termination of stay for end of employment and policy violations are illegal
- Rental increases must follow BC's rental increase rules

Below are resources that will help with your case. Whether it's to challenge an illegal eviction from your employer or to buy a couple extra months while looking for housing, file a dispute resolution!

Apply for a Dispute Resolution https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/apply-online
- Completing this will provide you with additional time to postpone your eviction
- You can apply for fee waiver. If you work in Whistler and live in staff housing, the fee is always waived due to meeting low income.

Vancouver Tenants Union https://www.vancouvertenantsunion.ca/
- Similar to TRAC, this union advocates for change and has helped change legislation and generate awareness for vulnerable tenant groups
- They provided valuable information and legal advice which prevented Whistler Blackcomb from a mass eviction during the March 2020 Covid shut down.

Tenant Resources and Advisory Centre (TRAC) https://tenants.bc.ca/
- TRAC has a team of lawyers and legal advocates who can provide FREE legal advice and representation to eligible tenants living in British Columbia.