Nova Scotia ban on 'renovictions' extended past Feb. 1 expiry date due to pandemic

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HALIFAX — A ban on landlords ending apartment leases for the purpose of renovations has been extended by the Nova Scotia government.

Introduced in late November, the ban on "renovictions" -- where a landlord removes a tenant, makes upgrades and then lists the unit at a higher price -- was scheduled to end Feb. 1.

It has now been extended until the lifting of the province's state of emergency to deal with COVID-19 or when the government decides to repeal it.

In a news release, Service Nova Scotia Minister Colton LeBlanc says the move is necessary because of the uncertainty associated with the pandemic.

The province's Residential Tenancies Act was amended in October to protect tenants in situations where a landlord needs to end a lease for renovations, and the province says those new rules will take effect when the ban ends.

The changes include a requirement for written consent to terminate a lease, more notice before eviction and automatic compensation for eviction.

The compensation would be three months' rent in buildings with five or more units and one month's rent in buildings with four units or fewer.

A temporary two per cent cap on rent hikes was also extended through legislation until Dec. 31, 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2022.