A landlord cannot terminate or restrict a service or facility that is essential and necessary to a rental unit and, if taken away, would make it impossible or impractical for a tenant to live there. For example, an elevator in a multi-storey apartment building is an essential service.
Notify your landlord in writing as soon as possible if you encounter a problem with an essential service or facility. If they do not fix the problem within a reasonable period, you can apply for dispute resolution through the Residential Tenancy Branch to obtain an order requiring your landlord to restore the essential service or facility. In addition, you can apply for monetary compensation from your landlord for ignoring your written request, as well as a rent reduction until the service or facility has been restored.
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