Lake Louise tenant complaint has Alberta backtracking

A complaint about a landlord-tenant dispute in Lake Louise has clarified that provincial rental rules actually do apply in Alberta's national parks, where in the past the province said it was up to each municipality to add the rules to their bylaws.

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Last year, Wayne Webster complained to the province when he couldn't get back a damage deposit from his landlord but the province refused to help.

Webster moved out of a rental property last June.

But when he didn't get his $1,900 damage deposit back, he asked Service Alberta to investigate.

He says the agency refused, so this month, Webster applied to the Court of Queen's Bench for a judicial review.

Even before the matter was heard by a judge this week, Webster's lawyer says Service Alberta clarified.

Emmett Scrimshaw says the province confirmed that the Residential Tenancies Act does apply in national parks.

"It's unfortunate that we had to go to this amount of effort to obtain a result but we're pleased nonetheless," Scrimshaw told CBC News.

"Tenants in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper would now have the protection of the Residential Tenancies Act and what that means is that they can access the dispute resolution service and be protected by the act which is a new thing," he said.

For his part, Webster says the fight was well worth it.

"I was doing this strictly on principle and I felt that the government should not be able to get away with being in dereliction of its duty," Webster said.

Scrimshawsays the government notified him this week that Service Alberta actually will help the man get back his damage deposit.

• Tenancy laws not enforced in Alberta's national parks