When/how can LL evict for renovations?
I have a lease for a portion of a house. Some areas, such as the kitchen and laundry room, are shared with other tenants who have their own lease. My private areas are fine, but shared areas have been getting rather run down. I actually had an RTB dispute a few months ago to try to get the property manager to make repairs and do more maintenance. I wasn't successful, I think because I messed up on filling out the form and was asking for rent reduction instead of actual repairs (at least that's what the arbitrator said).
The property manager's lawyer emailed me saying that the owner plans major renovations and after that they will be selling the house. They offered me one month's free rent if I move out willingly in six weeks. They said if I don't accept they will terminate my lease through the RTB at which point I "wouldn't get any monetary compensation".
My questions are
- What counts as major renovations? Should I ask for evidence, such as construction permits?
- This article states "Landlords my give two months' notice and one month rent compensation." ( https://news.gov.bc.ca/factsheets/factsheet-notice-to-end-tenancy-for-major-repairs-or-renovations ) Is this two months after the RTB decision or from when I was first notified? Was the lawyer lying when he said I wouldn't get compensation if this proceeds to the RTB? Are lawyers allowed to lie in situations like this?
- If a landlord evicts for personal use of property, there's a penalty if they are caught not actually using the property themselves afterward. Is there something similar for renovations? What would happen if I move out but notice 6 months later no renovations are happening?
- Does if make a difference if the other tenants are still living in the building? Should I ask them if they got this notice?
- I would like to move into a home that's a better fit for me. But rent prices have gone up a lot since I first moved in and these small offers (one or two months) don't seem reasonable. Should I tell any of this to the property manager or their lawyer?