Almost 3 months with no fridge – Uooi Property Management lied about the issue. Need RTB advice.
I am looking for advice on how to handle a dispute with the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) regarding a major maintenance failure and deceptive management. We moved into The Butterfly on March 1st, and as of today, May 9th, we still do not have a working refrigerator.
Before we signed the lease, Uooi Property Management told us the fridge had just "broken down" and would be fixed quickly. We later found out this was completely false; the fridge was never even installed properly from the start. They essentially rented us a unit knowing it was missing a functional kitchen, which feels like a major breach of the tenancy agreement.
Since moving in, dealing with Uooi has been a lesson in total incompetence. They have ghosted us for weeks, refused to provide a temporary backup fridge, and flat-out refused any rent reduction. We have spent the last 70+ days living out of coolers and buying takeout because we have no way to store food.
We are now filing with the RTB for a repair order and rent reimbursement. For those who have gone through this: what percentage of rent is "fair" or realistic to ask for in a case where an essential appliance is missing from day one? Also, does anyone have tips for the hearing process itself? I want to make sure the arbitrator understands that the management company knowingly lied to us before move-in.
Thank you!