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Policies

Once a tenant accepts an apartment to rent, it is our expectation that this will remain their home while they are a tenant of Greater Victoria Housing Society.

To be approved for an internal transfer, a tenant must meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Medical need with documentation from a medical specialist
  • Documented increase or decrease in unit occupants
  • Decrease in household income that affects the ability of the tenant to pay rent on a long-term basis

If a tenant is approved for an internal transfer they will only be considered for units where they qualify based on income, family size and/or medical requirements.

For further details on the application process please contact us directly at [email protected].

A tenant who requests a support animal in a building with a no-pet policy is required to provide proof of the necessity to have an animal reside in the unit, in order for approval to be given.

For further details on the application process please contact us directly at [email protected].

Policy Statement

When selecting tenants, Greater Victoria Housing Society considers the following:

  • Internal transfer waitlist
  • Requests from external organizations
  • Building mix/Community needs
  • Applicant needs/suitability

All of our subsidized housing tenants are chosen from The Registry (BC Housing).

Tenants selected for all other housing must meet the tenant selection criteria, which varies by building and operating agreement.

Rationale

Greater Victoria Housing Society has buildings that operate as subsidized and affordable market. This policy encompasses all the building types within the organization.

When selecting tenants, Greater Victoria Housing Society considers the following criteria:

  • Ready to Rent certificate
  • Landlord reference consisting of:
    • Rent payment history and outstanding debt
    • Conditions of previous unit
    • Conflict and disturbance history
  • Financial qualifications met
    • Potential tenant(s) have a combined income that falls within income range required, as per the building’s operating agreement(s)
    • Potential tenant does not have assets, as defined by BC Housing, worth more than $100,000.00
  • Availability
    • Potential tenant is available to take the unit when available. For subsidized or low end market units, potential tenant must be available to take the unit at a time that does not give Greater Victoria Housing Society a vacancy loss of more than one month from time of acceptance.
  • Canadian Residency Status
    • All potential tenants are required to be either Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents or have Refugee Status.

Potential tenants will be screened using a variety of methods that include, but are not limited to, application forms, Housing Registry files, income verifications, asset disclosures, reference checks, as well as phone and in person interviews.