Landlord in BC – tenant drilling / possible renovations despite “no structural change

[Raymond Li]

Hi everyone,

I’m a small landlord in British Columbia, Canada.

I recently found out from my next-door neighbour that my tenant has been drilling and making renovation-type noises inside the unit. I have not personally witnessed it, but the neighbour mentioned it to me because the noise has been ongoing.

In my tenancy agreement, it clearly states that the tenant is not allowed to make any changes to the structure of the property without my written approval.

I’m trying to handle this professionally and not escalate unnecessarily.

What would be the best way to approach the tenant?

For example, would it be reasonable to send a message like:

“Hi, I was made aware there may be some drilling or work happening in the unit. Just a reminder that the tenancy agreement does not allow any structural or permanent changes without written approval. Please confirm what work is being done.”

Should I mention that the information came from a neighbour, or is it better to keep the source vague?

Also, if it turns out they did make changes without permission, what are the usual next steps in BC through the Residential Tenancy Branch?

I’d really appreciate advice from other landlords or tenants who have dealt with something similar.