The unit was for one person but a second person has moved in. My utility costs have increased since the second person moved in, can I raise the rent in order to offset my increased utility costs?

It is fairly common for a tenant to split the costs of renting by bringing in a permanent guest or “undertenant”. The Residential Tenancies Act does not include a remedy for a landlord in such cases because it does not consider it to be unlawful. A landlord can neither raise the rent to reflect the additional utility costs and wear and tear on the rental unit, nor prevent the tenant from having the roommate, as long as local municipal bylaws on occupancy standards are respected.

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