Roommate Deposit Dispute in BC: CRT or Residential Tenancy Branch?

Your roommate arrangement ended and you want your deposit back. Before you file anything, you need to answer one question: does the Residential Tenancy Act cover your living situation? The answer determines whether you go to the Residential Tenancy Branch or the Civil Resolution Tribunal — and filing in the wrong place wastes months.

When the RTB Handles It

If you signed a standard residential tenancy agreement with a landlord — you rent the unit, you have exclusive possession, and the landlord lives elsewhere — the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) governs your tenancy. Security deposit disputes under the RTA go exclusively to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB). The CRT has no jurisdiction over these claims.

This covers most conventional rentals: an apartment, a basement suite with a separate entrance, or a house where the landlord doesn't live with you.

When the CRT Handles It

Some arrangements are excluded from the RTA or fall outside the RTB's jurisdiction between the parties. If your deposit dispute is a contract claim against a roommate or owner rather than an RTA tenancy claim, it may go to the CRT:

• Sharing with the owner. You rent a room and share kitchen or bathroom facilities with the owner. The RTA excludes this living arrangement.
• Roommate arrangement. The tenant on the main agreement stays in the unit and rents you a room. The RTB generally does not resolve disputes between roommates; a true sublet is different. If the original tenant moves out and temporarily rents you the unit under a sublease, the RTA applies to that relationship.
• Short-term or vacation rentals. Arrangements that fall outside the RTA's definition of a residential tenancy.

For disputes outside the RTA, the CRT can hear money claims up to $5,000, and Provincial Court small claims handles amounts from $5,001 to $35,000.

How to Build Your Case

A roommate deposit claim at the CRT is a breach-of-contract claim. You need to show:

1. An agreement existed — a written roommate agreement, texts confirming the deposit amount, or an e-transfer with a note describing what it was for
2. You paid the deposit — bank statement, e-transfer confirmation, or receipt
3. The conditions for return were met — you moved out, left the space in reasonable condition, and gave adequate notice (or whatever the agreement required)
4. The other party hasn't returned it — a demand letter asking for the deposit back, and their refusal or silence

If there's no written agreement, the CRT will look at the conduct of both parties — what was discussed, what was paid, and what the reasonable expectations were. Text messages and email exchanges become your primary evidence.

The Filing Process

File through the CRT's Solution Explorer. When it asks about the nature of your dispute, select the standard small claims path — not any tenancy-related option (those route to the RTB). The CRT filing fee is $75 for claims up to $3,000 or $125 for claims between $3,001 and $5,000.

The Tenant Resource Advisory Centre (TRAC) can help you figure out whether your arrangement falls under the RTA before you file.

For the complete CRT filing process — including service rules, evidence preparation, and what happens at adjudication — the BC CRT Small Claim Filing Guide walks through every stage.

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