What would otherwise become public?
The RTB publishes monetary orders in a searchable database. Published details can include the landlord and tenant names, rental address, dispute file number, amount owed and person responsible for payment. The Province says it waits at least 15 days after the final decision before publishing an order. That is a publication waiting period, not a guarantee that a late exemption application will prevent information already published from being seen.
Who may qualify?
The RTB assesses whether publishing the name or rental address presents a credible personal safety threat and whether the public interest in transparency is outweighed. Examples given by the Province include:
- Family or intimate-partner violence, whether ongoing or previously experienced;
- Justice-sector workers, such as law-enforcement personnel, prosecutors or judges, facing safety risks;
- People under protective orders or with active safety plans;
- Credible threats to personal safety from a third party.
A general preference for privacy, embarrassment about owing money or disagreement with the monetary order is not by itself the same as a documented safety threat.
How to complete the two-page RTB-59
- Applicant information: Identify whether the requester is a landlord, tenant or authorized agent, and provide full legal name, email, phone number, mailing address and the rental-unit address.
- Hearing details: Give the RTB file number, hearing date or dates and hearing time or times.
- Reason for exemption and declaration: Explain specifically how publication of your name and rental address would put your safety at risk. Print the applicant’s or agent’s name, sign and date the form. Provide relevant evidence if available.
Submit promptly using the correct channel
Email the completed RTB-59 to HSRTO@gov.bc.ca with the subject line “Exemption Request”, following the current official instructions. Do not upload RTB-59 to your dispute file: the form expressly says such a submission will not be considered. Because orders are normally published after a minimum 15-day delay, submit as soon as possible after the monetary order is issued. The form does not promise that waiting the full 15 days is safe. Keep a copy of the signed form and submission confirmation.
Evidence and what the decision covers
The RTB may ask for a supporting letter from a victim services worker, social worker, legal advocate or police agency, a protection or restraining order, or a sworn statement explaining the safety concern. The RTB provides a written response after considering the request. An exemption covers only that particular monetary order: a separate future monetary order requires a new application. Providing knowingly false or misleading information can lead to an administrative penalty.
Common mistakes
Uploading the form as ordinary evidence, failing to explain the connection between publication and a genuine safety threat, sending it after the monetary order is already public, forgetting the required signature, or assuming the exemption cancels the underlying monetary liability.