Proposed legislation in N.B. bans rent increases in the first year

With both rent and the cost of construction rising, New Brunswick has introduced legislation for renters and landlords, which includes rent increases being limited to once every year and banning them for the first year of tenancy. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

HALIFAX — New Brunswick is introducing new legislation for renters that would ban increases in the first year and only allow price hikes once each year after that.

The proposed legislation will also require landlords to give six months' notice to increase rent, meaning tenants have more time to adapt. Currently, the notice period is three months.

Tenants would also have 30 days to apply to have a rent increase reviewed by the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, instead of the current 15 days.

Under the new legislation, the Residential Tenancies Tribunal will also be allowed to review all rent increases, not only those that apply to long-term tenancies.

"Under this legislation, the Residential Tenancies Tribunal would have the authority to review and deny unreasonable rent increases for most tenancies, instead of being limited to tenancies that are five years or longer," said Service New Brunswick Minister Mary Wilson.

"This extra step will help ensure the tenant’s new rent amount is comparable to similar rental units in their respective regions."

The Residential Tenancies Tribunal is an arms-length government body that attempts to resolve conflicts between landlords and tenants while upholding and enforcing the Residential Tenancies Act.