N.S. announces changes to residential tenancies program

A rental unit is pictured.

The province of Nova Scotia says it is making changes to the residential tenancies program with the goal of improving communication for both tenants and landlords.

The changes include new timelines and conditions for ending a tenancy, criminal behaviour, disturbing another tenant or the landlord, or extraordinary damage to a rental unit.

“Landlords need to understand and follow the rules and provide tenants with safe and well-kept properties while tenants also need to understand and follow the rules, including respecting their rental unit and neighbours,” said Jill Balser, minister of Service Nova Scotia, in a provincial news release.

“It’s always a balance. That’s why we meet with tenant and landlord groups to help inform the changes we make.”

Landlords will now be able to notify their tenants three days after their rent is due that their lease can end if they don’t pay. Ten days after receiving the notice, tenants can either pay their rent, leave the unit or appeal to the tenancies program.

The province says it previously had the longest wait times in the country and the new timeline is more consistent with other provinces.

Other changes to the program include:

• new requirements for landlords to provide email addresses if their tenants do so
• publishing some of the decisions from residential tenancies hearings online
• establishing a common anniversary date for land-lease communities
• improving the process for tenants and landlords when a landlord of a land-lease community applies to charge rent above the annual allowable rent increase

The changes come into effect at the end of the month.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page