Tenant Entitled to Partial Security Deposit Refund After Cleaning Deductions
⚖️ Legal holding
A tenant is entitled to a security deposit refund minus reasonable deductions for cleaning and maintenance.
📖 Technical summary
The claimant is entitled to a partial refund of the security deposit after deductions for cleaning costs.
📚 Full judgment
The summary, holding and questions above are VadeLab’s own material. The official decision itself is published by the court, and we do not reproduce it on this page.
⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this
✅ Tends to be accepted
- The landlord applied to the Residential Tenancy Branch to keep the deposit, which prevented the tenant from claiming double the deposit.
- The tenant stayed an extra day beyond the agreed move-out date.
- The tenant left the bathroom tub and toilet dirty after moving out.
- The tenant was partially successful in his claims and generally successful in the landlord's counterclaim.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The landlord did not conduct a pre-tenancy inspection, which prevented her from claiming damages to the property.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The tenant is entitled to a partial refund of the security deposit after deductions for cleaning and maintenance costs.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was about whether the tenant was entitled to a full or partial refund of the security deposit after moving out.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided that the tenant was entitled to a partial refund of the security deposit after deducting reasonable cleaning and maintenance costs.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Residential Tenancy Act (BC), s. 47 was applied.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was the tenant's right to a security deposit refund minus reasonable deductions for cleaning and maintenance.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was for the person who brought the case, the tenant.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation should expect to receive a partial refund of their security deposit after deductions for cleaning and maintenance costs.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The evidence and documents that mattered included the rental agreement, cleaning invoices, and videos of the condition of the premises.