BC Small Claims, CRT, Eviction & Civil Help

Civil Law in British Columbia — what to do right now

In British Columbia, almost every civil problem has a deadline, and the most important one is the basic limitation period under section 6 of the Limitation Act: you generally have two years from the day you discovered your claim to start a proceeding, after which it can be thrown out no matter how strong it is. BC is also different from most provinces in where your dispute begins. Most claims worth $5,000 or less, almost all strata-property disputes, and many motor-vehicle injury matters must go first to the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) — an online tribunal, not a court. Claims between roughly $5,001 and $35,000 go to the Provincial Court (Small Claims); larger or complex cases go to the Supreme Court of BC. Residential rent and eviction disputes don't go to court at all — they go to the Residential Tenancy Branch. Do not ignore a tribunal notice, do not move out just because you got an eviction notice, and do not assume your deadline has passed without checking. The free hotline is live now to help you work out exactly which clock and which forum apply to you.

The law in British Columbia: Civil Law

Civil law in British Columbia is split across a distinctive ladder of forums, and getting the forum right matters as much as getting the law right. BC built Canada's first online tribunal — the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) — and gave it mandatory jurisdiction over a large share of everyday disputes. Most small claims of $5,000 or less, almost all strata-property (condominium) disputes of any amount, many motor-vehicle accident injury claims, and certain societies and co-operative-association matters must start at the CRT, which resolves disputes mostly online through a step-by-step process. Above that, the Provincial Court (Small Claims) handles money claims roughly between $5,001 and $35,000, and the Supreme Court of BC handles larger or more complex civil cases under the Supreme Court Civil Rules. Residential rent and eviction disputes go to neither court — they go to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), a provincial body that applies the Residential Tenancy Act.

The deadline that catches the most people is the Limitation Act, SBC 2012, c. 13. Section 6 sets a basic limitation period of two years, and section 8 ties the clock to 'discovery' — the first day you knew, or a reasonable person ought to have known, that injury or loss occurred, that an act or omission caused it, who was responsible, and that a court or tribunal proceeding was an appropriate way to remedy it. On top of that, section 21 imposes a 15-year ultimate limitation period running from the act or omission itself, even if you never discovered the harm. This two-year period is itself a modernisation: BC's old Limitation Act used a patchwork of periods (commonly six years for simple contract and debt), and the current Act — in force since June 1, 2013 — replaced most of them with a single, much shorter two-year clock. People who remember the 'six-year rule' are routinely caught out.

Housing has its own rulebook and its own decision-maker. Under the Residential Tenancy Act, a landlord who wants to end a tenancy must serve the correct notice. A 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy for unpaid rent or utilities takes effect 10 days after it is given, but a tenant who pays the overdue rent within five days of receiving it cancels the notice; a tenant who instead disputes it has five days to apply to the RTB. Landlord's-use notices — where the landlord, a purchaser or a close family member needs the unit — generally require longer notice (commonly several months) and can be challenged as not made in good faith. Crucially, the notice does not evict anyone on its own: if the tenant stays and disputes, the RTB holds a dispute-resolution hearing, and only an Order of Possession (enforced, if necessary, through the court bailiff) can lawfully remove a tenant. A landlord who changes the locks without an order is breaking the law.

Deposits in BC are tightly capped. A landlord may collect a security deposit of no more than half of one month's rent, and — where pets are allowed — a separate pet-damage deposit, also capped at half a month's rent, so the most a landlord can hold is one month's rent in total. After a tenancy ends and the tenant gives a forwarding address in writing, the landlord has 15 days to either return the deposit (with any interest owed) or apply to the RTB to keep some or all of it; a landlord who does neither can be ordered to pay double the deposit. For debts and contracts, the same two-year clock usually applies, running from the last payment or written acknowledgement — and making a payment or admitting the debt in writing can restart it, so what you say to a collector matters. For motor-vehicle injuries, BC moved to ICBC's 'Enhanced Care' no-fault model on May 1, 2021: for most crashes after that date you can no longer sue an at-fault driver for your injuries, and instead receive care and income benefits regardless of fault — with disputes about those benefits and many remaining injury claims routed through the CRT. What ties all of this together is timing and forum: BC civil law rewards people who identify the right tribunal or court and act inside the limitation period, and quietly closes the door on those who wait. Reading a section number is not the same as knowing how it applies to your facts — the free hotline is live now to point you at the right clock and the right forum before a deadline runs.

Key Statutes & Rules

Limitation Act, SBC 2012, c. 13, s. 6 — basic limitation period of 2 years to start most civil claims
Limitation Act, s. 8 — the clock runs from 'discovery', not from when the loss happened
Limitation Act, s. 21 — 15-year ultimate limitation period from the act or omission
Civil Resolution Tribunal Act — gives the CRT mandatory jurisdiction over most small claims, strata and many motor-vehicle injury matters
Residential Tenancy Act, SBC 2002, c. 78 — governs rent, deposits and all residential evictions through the Residential Tenancy Branch
Supreme Court Civil Rules — procedure for larger and complex civil claims in the Supreme Court of BC

Courts & Tribunals

Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) — mandatory for most claims up to $5,000, strata disputes of any amount, and many motor-vehicle injury claims (online)
Provincial Court (Small Claims) — money claims roughly $5,001 to $35,000
Supreme Court of British Columbia — larger contract, debt and complex civil claims under the Supreme Court Civil Rules
Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) — evictions, rent and deposit disputes under the Residential Tenancy Act
Court bailiff — enforces an RTB Order of Possession if a tenant does not leave

Deadlines & Outcomes

2 years from discovery to sue on most civil, debt, contract and injury claims (Limitation Act, s. 6)
15-year ultimate cut-off from the act or omission, even if you never discovered the harm (s. 21)
10 Day Notice for unpaid rent: pay within 5 days to cancel it, or dispute it at the RTB within 5 days
Security deposit and pet-damage deposit each capped at half a month's rent (one month's rent maximum combined)
Landlord has 15 days after you give a forwarding address to return your deposit or apply to keep it

The Two-Year Limitation Clock Is the Most Dangerous Deadline in BC Civil Law

More BC civil claims die on the limitation period than on the merits. Section 6 of the Limitation Act gives you two years to sue, and section 8 starts that clock on the day you 'discovered' the claim — which is often the day the harm happened, but can be later if the damage or its cause was genuinely hidden. The trap is sharpest in BC because the period was modernised in 2013: anyone relying on the old 'six-year rule' for a debt or contract is working from a deadline that no longer exists. People assume they have plenty of time, wait for an insurer or a debtor to 'come around', and then learn the two years quietly expired. Miss it and a court or the CRT can dismiss even an airtight case as out of time. Before you assume your deadline is comfortable, the free hotline (live now in BC) can help you pin down exactly when your clock started and when it runs out.

Likely outcomes & penalties

Real BC civil outcomes depend heavily on the facts, the forum, and whether you act inside the limitation period. These are realistic ranges under British Columbia and Canadian law, not promises — and we are not a law firm.

Eviction (Residential Tenancy Branch)

A landlord's notice does not evict you on its own. For unpaid rent, paying within five days cancels a 10 Day Notice; otherwise you can dispute it at the RTB within five days and get a hearing. For landlord's-use notices you can challenge bad faith. If the landlord wins, the RTB issues an Order of Possession, enforced if needed by a court bailiff — never by the landlord changing the locks. Free tenant advocates (like TRAC) can help you prepare.

Civil Resolution Tribunal claim (up to $5,000 / strata)

Most small disputes up to $5,000 and almost all strata disputes must start at the CRT, online, often without a lawyer. The CRT can order payment of money owed, fix strata-related disputes, and resolve many motor-vehicle injury questions. Its decisions are binding and enforceable like a court order. The process is designed for self-represented people and runs through a guided 'solution explorer' before any adjudication.

Debt or collection-agency claim

A creditor or collection agency generally has only two years from your last payment or written acknowledgement to sue you in BC — a much shorter window than the old six-year rule many people still assume. A claim filed after that can be dismissed as statute-barred. But making a payment or admitting the debt in writing can restart the clock, so what you say to a collector matters. Collection agencies are regulated and cannot harass you.

Motor-vehicle injury (Enhanced Care)

Since May 1, 2021, BC's no-fault 'Enhanced Care' model means that for most crashes you can no longer sue an at-fault driver for your injuries; instead you receive care, treatment and income benefits from ICBC regardless of fault. Disputes over those benefits, and many remaining injury claims, are decided by the Civil Resolution Tribunal rather than a court. Deadlines for notifying ICBC and applying are strict.

Mistakes to avoid

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Assuming you have lots of time to sue — in British Columbia the basic limitation period is just two years from when you discovered the claim (Limitation Act, s. 6), and a court or the CRT can dismiss even a strong case filed one day late as statute-barred.

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Relying on the old 'six-year rule' for a debt or contract — BC modernised its Limitation Act in 2013, cutting most periods to two years, so a deadline you think is years away may already have passed.

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Filing a small claim or strata dispute in the wrong forum — most claims up to $5,000 and almost all strata disputes must start at the Civil Resolution Tribunal, not a court, and going to the wrong place wastes time and money.

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Treating an eviction notice as the eviction itself and moving out — a 10 Day or landlord's-use notice is only a notice; for unpaid rent you can cancel it by paying within five days, and your landlord must get an RTB Order of Possession before you can be lawfully removed.

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Making a small 'good faith' payment on an old debt to a collection agency — in BC a payment or written acknowledgement can restart the two-year limitation clock, reviving a debt that was about to become unenforceable.

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Letting a landlord keep more than the legal deposit — in BC a security deposit and a pet-damage deposit are each capped at half a month's rent, and a landlord who fails to return your deposit or apply to the RTB within 15 days of getting your forwarding address can be ordered to pay you double.

How it works

Call the free BC hotline now. You can reach a free legal-information line any hour, from anywhere in British Columbia. No income test, no web form, no waiting room — the AI assistant answers live when you call.

Talk to an AI assistant trained on BC + Canadian law. Explain your eviction notice, CRT or Small Claims dispute, debt, deposit, strata or injury question in plain words, and ask as many questions as you like. The assistant gives you clear legal information — your deadlines, your forum, your next move under BC law — not legal advice. We are not a law firm, and the call creates no lawyer-client relationship.

A BC lawyer consultation is coming soon. For now the hotline gives you free general legal information; a paid consultation with a BC-licensed lawyer is a service we're building and will offer soon. There's no obligation — the free line is here to help you understand your situation today.

Free & low-cost Civil Law help in British Columbia

If you can't afford a lawyer, British Columbia has a strong network of free and low-cost legal help — Legal Aid BC, pro bono clinics, plain-language guides, and specialist tenant advocates. These are independent resources, not part of our service; the free hotline (live now) can help you figure out which one fits and what to ask them.

Legal Aid BC

British Columbia's legal-aid provider for people with low incomes — funds representation in serious matters, runs duty counsel and family advice services, and produces a large library of free public legal-information resources. Call 1-866-577-2525 to check eligibility.

Civil Resolution Tribunal

The official CRT site, with the Solution Explorer that walks you step by step through small claims (up to $5,000), strata-property disputes, motor-vehicle injury matters and societies/co-op disputes — free guidance on whether and how to start a claim online.

Clicklaw

A BC public-legal-information hub linking to trusted guides, common-questions answers and a HelpMap of free and low-cost legal services across the province — covering housing, debt, consumer, small claims and more.

People's Law School

A non-profit producing clear, reliable plain-language explanations of everyday BC law — tenancy, debt and consumer issues, small claims, neighbours and contracts — written for people without legal training.

TRAC Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre

A non-profit dedicated to BC tenants' rights — a tenant infoline, template letters, and detailed guides on deposits, notices to end tenancy and RTB dispute resolution under the Residential Tenancy Act.

Access Pro Bono BC

Connects people who can't afford a lawyer with volunteer lawyers for free advice through summary-advice clinics and a province-wide telephone service, covering many civil, housing and consumer matters.

Residential Tenancy Branch

The official RTB site: information on notices to end tenancy, deposits, rent increases and how to apply for dispute resolution under the Residential Tenancy Act — plus the forms tenants and landlords need.

FAQ — Civil Law in British Columbia

How long do I have to sue someone in British Columbia?

For most civil claims — debt, contract, property damage, personal injury — you have two years from the day you discovered the claim under section 6 of the Limitation Act, SBC 2012, c. 13. 'Discovered' usually means the day you knew you suffered a loss, who caused it, and that a court or tribunal proceeding was the right way to deal with it (section 8). There's also a 15-year ultimate cut-off from the event itself (section 21). Importantly, BC cut most older, longer limitation periods down to two years in 2013, so deadlines are shorter than many people expect. The free BC hotline is live now and can help you pin down your exact deadline.

What is the Civil Resolution Tribunal, and do I have to use it?

The Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) is Canada's first online tribunal, and in British Columbia it is mandatory for many disputes. Most small claims of $5,000 or less, almost all strata-property (condo) disputes of any amount, and many motor-vehicle accident injury claims must start at the CRT rather than in court. It resolves disputes mostly online through a guided process, and its decisions are binding and enforceable like a court order. There are limited exceptions, and a party can sometimes ask to be exempted. The free hotline (live now) can help you tell whether your dispute belongs at the CRT.

How much can I sue for in BC Small Claims Court?

The Provincial Court (Small Claims) handles money claims between roughly $5,001 and $35,000. Claims of $5,000 or less generally must go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal instead, and claims above $35,000 go to the Supreme Court of BC under the Supreme Court Civil Rules. If a Small Claims judge concludes a claim is really worth more than $35,000, it can be transferred to the Supreme Court — unless you abandon the excess so it can stay in Small Claims. Picking the right forum matters; the free hotline (live now) can help you work out which one applies.

I got an eviction notice in BC — does that mean I have to move out?

No. A notice is not an eviction. If you get a 10 Day Notice to End Tenancy for unpaid rent, paying the overdue rent within five days cancels it; if you don't, you can dispute it at the Residential Tenancy Branch within five days and get a hearing. For landlord's-use notices you can challenge whether the landlord is acting in good faith. A landlord cannot lawfully remove you without an RTB Order of Possession, enforced if necessary by a court bailiff — never by changing the locks. Free tenant advocates can help. The hotline (live now) can explain your specific notice.

My landlord won't return my deposit — what can I do in BC?

In British Columbia a landlord can collect a security deposit of no more than half of one month's rent, plus — if pets are allowed — a pet-damage deposit also capped at half a month's rent, so one month's rent is the maximum total. After your tenancy ends and you give the landlord your forwarding address in writing, the landlord has 15 days to either return the deposit (with any interest) or apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch to keep it. A landlord who does neither can be ordered to pay you double the deposit. The free hotline (live now) can point you to the right RTB application.

Can a debt collector still sue me for an old debt in BC?

Often not. In British Columbia a creditor or collection agency generally has only two years from your last payment or written acknowledgement of the debt to sue you, under the Limitation Act. After that, a claim can be dismissed as statute-barred. This is shorter than the old six-year rule many people still assume. But be careful: making even a small payment, or admitting the debt in writing, can restart the two-year clock and revive a debt that was about to become unenforceable. Collection agencies are also regulated and cannot harass you. Get clear information before you respond — the hotline (live now) can help.

Can I still sue after a car accident in BC?

For most crashes on or after May 1, 2021, no — British Columbia moved to ICBC's no-fault 'Enhanced Care' model. Instead of suing the at-fault driver for your injuries, you receive care, treatment and income benefits from ICBC regardless of who was at fault. There are only limited exceptions where a lawsuit is still possible. Disputes about your Enhanced Care benefits, and many remaining injury claims, are decided by the Civil Resolution Tribunal rather than a court, and the deadlines to notify ICBC and apply are strict. The hotline is live now and can help you understand which path applies.

I have a dispute with my strata (condo) — where does it go?

Almost all strata-property disputes in British Columbia, of any dollar amount, must go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal — not to a court. That includes disagreements over bylaws and rules, fines, repairs and maintenance, the use of common property, and how the strata corporation makes decisions. The CRT handles these online through its step-by-step process, and its decisions are binding. A handful of strata matters (such as some involving the winding-up of a strata) can still go to the Supreme Court. The free hotline (live now) can help you tell which is which.

Do I need a lawyer for the CRT, Small Claims or the Residential Tenancy Branch in BC?

No — all three forums are designed to be used without a lawyer. The Civil Resolution Tribunal is built for self-represented people and runs mostly online; Small Claims in the Provincial Court is deliberately less formal; and Residential Tenancy Branch hearings are accessible, with free tenant-advocacy help available from organisations like TRAC. You can still get information beforehand. The free hotline is live now and can give you general legal information on how to prepare, what evidence to bring, and your deadlines. We are not a law firm and this is legal information, not legal advice.

What's the difference between the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court of BC?

The Provincial Court hears Small Claims — money disputes roughly between $5,001 and $35,000 — in a faster, less formal way that self-represented people can navigate. The Supreme Court of British Columbia hears larger and more complex civil cases, including bigger contract and debt disputes, under the more detailed Supreme Court Civil Rules. And many of the smallest disputes (up to $5,000) and almost all strata matters don't go to either court — they go to the Civil Resolution Tribunal. Choosing the right forum matters, because filing in the wrong one wastes time and money. The free hotline (live now) can help you tell which is which.

Is this a law firm, and is it really free?

No — we are not a law firm, and the service is genuinely free, with no income test and no web form. The AI assistant gives you legal information, not legal advice, and using it creates no lawyer-client relationship, and you can ask as many questions as you like. A paid consultation with a BC-licensed lawyer is a service we're building and coming soon; for now the free line is here whenever you call. The British Columbia line is live now — call to talk to the AI legal assistant.

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Last updated: 10 June 2026. Reviewed by the Legal Hotline Editorial Team.

General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy against current Canadian federal and provincial law. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [email protected].

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