Getting landlord to fix stove and toilet
 

My elderly inlaws (mother-in-law's mother and sister) have a lazy slob of a landlord that won't do shit. I learned yesterday that their stove only has one working element, and it's been like that for a while. My inlaws are fobs, and spend more time discussing it then taking any action. Are there any legal avenues to take to rectify this situation, or turn the screws on the landlord?

From my brief reading of the rta it appears as though the landlord should be responsible for the repair as long as the damage was not caused by your in-laws.

RTA BC:

If calling and complaining every day does not help you have only 2 options. 1. Move. 2. Dispute Resolution. You can get the forms here: Forms & Fees : RTB : Government of British Columbia . The hearing is done over the phone and will take 1 to 2 months to get a hearing.

Is the landlord lazy or is he just busy. Maybe ask him if you can hire someone to do the repairs and just take it off the rent.

If you do get someone else to do the work and the landlord agrees, get that shit in writing and keep him in the loop on cost.

Also, although the kitchen elements are not considered emergency repair, if the toilet is clogged and the landlords are not doing the repair, then it could be considered an emergency repair. This is what I got from the RTB document.
http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/documents/F...ts/RTB-110.pdf

Sometimes an emergency repair may be required that is not the responsibility of the tenant. Repairs are an emergency only if the health or safety of the tenant is in danger or if the building or property is at risk.
Examples of emergencies are:
 major leaks in pipes or roof.
 damaged or blocked water or sewer pipes or plumbing fixtures. <-
 primary heating system.
 malfunctioning electrical system.
 damaged or defective locks.

Making emergency repairs
When an emergency arises, the tenant must try to call the emergency contact at least twice, and allow a reasonable amount of time for the contact to respond each time. The tenant should keep a written record of the dates and times of each call.
After the emergency contact responds, the tenant must allow a reasonable time period for the repair to be done. What is “reasonable” will depend on the circumstances. For example, if it is below freezing outside and the only source of heat is not working, the repair should be started within a few hours.
If the emergency contact does not respond, the tenant can get the repairs done after making sure the costs will be reasonable and the repair will be done properly.
At any time, the landlord may take over the repair work and pay for work done up to that point.