 The BC Residential Tenancy Branch presents an information video on ending fixed-term tenancies. Changes to the BC Residential Tenancy Act allow tenants in special circumstances to end a fixed-term tenancy early without financial penalty. These changes provide greater support for those affected by family violence and for tenants who can no longer live on their own. Be tuned to find out why BC's legislation is so innovative. Tenants who are assessed as needing or admitted into long-term care can end their tenancy early. These are tenants who are no longer able to live independently. It is also for tenants who need to end their lease to flee family violence. Eligible tenants can end their tenancy early by giving their landlord one month's written notice and a written statement confirming their eligibility. The one month notice means the tenant is only responsible for that last month's rent and not for additional rent payments or costs to re-rent the unit. Remember how we told you to stay tuned to hear why this is so innovative? The changes in BC are unique. They allow tenants to have their eligibility confirmed by authorized community-based service providers. Who can confirm eligibility? Authorized third-party verifiers can confirm eligibility. The residential tenancy regulations identify who is authorized to be a third-party verifier. Examples include transition house workers, outreach workers, police officers, physicians, victim court support case workers, registered social workers, long-term care facility managers, or health authority case managers. So how does it work? There are three steps. Step one, download the ending fixed-term tenancy confirmation statement form from the residential tenancy branch website. The tenant fills out the tenant information. Step two, after completing their professional assessment and if they determine the tenant is eligible, the third-party verifier completes the remainder of the form. Step three, the tenant provides the landlord with one month's written notice to end tenancy and the completed form. A landlord who receives the notice to end tenancy has two different options depending on the situation. If the tenant who provided the notice was the only tenant to the unit, the landlord may now begin the process of finding new tenants. When the tenant provides the form, the tenancy ends for all the tenants. If there are more tenants than the one who gave notice, the landlord may wish to enter into an agreement with the remaining tenant or tenants or begin the process of finding new tenants. Landlords must keep the tenant and verifier information confidential. Unauthorized use or disclosure may result in the landlord being investigated by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The only options for landlords to dispute the end of tenancy are if it was not provided to them in the way required by law, or if they have evidence that the third-party verifier was not authorized to complete the form. For people fleeing family violence, this is a difficult time for you. We encourage you to discuss all your options with your support network, including a counselor, doctor, or anti-violence worker. Third-party verifiers may be able to help you figure out your best options. For more information, please visit our website at www.gov.bc.ca.