Policy 7310 – Constituency Office Leasing sets the parameters for constituency office lease and lease management by the Legislative Assembly. Leasing Support oversees all aspects of constituency office leasing and, through external brokerage assistance, offers space acquisition and lease negotiation services. Once a space is selected, the lease contract is between the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the landlord.
The full lease costs, including normal occupancy expenses such as heat, light, apportioned amount of property taxes, common area expenses, parking, etc., will be paid from the central constituency office leasing budget, provided these are stated in the lease. Please note that the Legislative Assembly does not pay for security deposits, make advance rent payments (post-dated cheques) to the landlord/payee, or provide automatic withdrawals.
For additional lease resources and guides, please visit the Client Care Portal.
Lease Renewals and Amendments
Leasing Support is responsible for all lease renewals and amendments.
Tenant Improvements
Tenant improvements are covered through the central constituency office leasing budget if they are specified in the lease agreement. Requests for tenant improvements are submitted to Leasing Support. If it is determined that tenant improvements are required, lease renegotiation or an amendment to the current lease to add an addendum may be necessary. Any such material changes to a lease agreement requires written authorization from Leasing Support before any work is started.
Secondary Offices
If a Member’s electoral district covers 2,500 square kilometers or more, they may choose to establish and operate a secondary constituency office within their electoral district to make it easier for constituents to visit the Member in person. This secondary office must be located at least 50 kilometers from the primary office (calculated by distance traveled by road/ferry). Standard lease costs for the secondary office are paid from the central constituency office leasing budget, while operating costs are funded from the Member’s constituency office allowance.
If a Member chooses to establish a secondary office, Members will follow the same process as was followed for the primary constituency office to secure a lease by contacting Leasing Support. As an alternative to opening a secondary office, a Member may book a meeting room or conference space in a community as required to assist with constituency duties. This is a reimbursable expense up to an established maximum from the central constituency office leasing budget. A Member may contact Leasing Support for more details.
Sharing of Constituency Office Space
A Member may co-locate (share) constituency office accommodation (whether primary or secondary) with a Member of Parliament or an elected municipal official from the community in which the constituency office is located. A Member must facilitate such an arrangement through Leasing Support. A written agreement must be established between all parties and include provisions for cost sharing and recovery and any other conditions that Leasing Support, in consultation with the Member and Legal Services, determines are necessary to protect the interests of the Member and the Legislative Assembly.
Moving
Members required to move their constituency offices due to electoral district boundary changes will have all associated moving costs covered by the Legislative Assembly. For help with moving phones, computers, and multi-function printers, Members can contact Client Care. The movement of furniture and equipment can be managed locally.
Members choosing to move their office for other reasons will have the costs of phones, internet, and multi-function printers covered by the Legislative Assembly, while all other costs are the responsibility of the constituency office. Contractual lease obligations must not be violated.
Constituency Office Insurance
The Legislative Assembly provides blanket insurance coverage for each constituency office through a General Liability Policy. This policy includes coverage for “all risks” (fire/smoke, water damage, theft, vandalism) and provides coverage for office contents; valuable papers and records; commercial liability (personal injuries sustained by persons visiting a constituency office); and tenants’ legal liability. All Members will be provided with a copy of the policy certificate for their office(s) each year.
The General Liability Policy has an endorsement that includes the landlord as an additional insured party, and a separate certificate can be provided to the landlord when requested.
Extension of the Legislative Assembly’s insurance coverage to cover a Member’s participation in or hosting of public forums and events must be arranged through Client Care.
For further information regarding constituency office insurance, including insurance certificates, claims and event insurance, please contact Leasing Support or refer to Constituency Office Events and Insurance on the Client Care Portal.
For claims under the Legislative Assembly’s General Liability Policy, please contact Leasing Support.
Coverage
Full insurance policy and coverage details are maintained by Leasing Support.
Insurance for a Member’s participation in or hosting of public forums or events may be covered by a central constituency office budget if the meeting room meets the criteria in Policy 7310 – Constituency Office Leasing (see section 9). Any insurance for meeting rooms or events not covered under this policy must be paid using the Member’s constituency office allowance.
Deductible and Personal Effects
The insurance coverage may not cover the significant loss or repair of personal equipment or furniture belonging to either a Member or an employee. In the event of loss or damage to personal belongings, claims are to be made against the Member or employee’s home insurance policy as may be applicable.
Signage
Constituency offices are designed to encourage communication between the Member and all constituents, and therefore the office must be operated on a strictly non-partisan basis and cannot be used to engage in or host partisan or political activities. In keeping with this guideline and in order to provide constituents with a non-partisan venue, the exterior signage located at any constituency office should not:
- Display the name or logo of a political party;
- Contain statements of a partisan political nature; and
- Use political party colours in any recognizable partisan form.
The exterior sign should contain the name of the MLA or constituency as the primary focus. The style, form, and size of the sign are left to the discretion of the individual Member, subject to restrictions placed upon the Member by the constituency office landlord.