Information for tenants in Nova Scotia

 

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BASICS OF THE LAW:

What is Residential Tenancies?

Residential Tenancies is a government department that deals with all issues that have to do with rental residencies, including evictions, unpaid rent, complaints, etc. Residential Tenancies follows the rules of the Residential Tenancies Act. If you have a dispute with your landlord, you can file an application, sometimes called a complaint, with Residential Tenancies to have a hearing with a Residential Tenancies Officer. Your landlord can also do this.

 

Note about the Residential Tenancies Act

The law is always about interpretation. Many terms and conditions are unclear and it is up to a Residential Tenancies Officer to decide in the event that there is a dispute between you and your landlord.

This guide contains legal information, not legal advice. Everything depends on the individual circumstance. You should only rely on this as a guide.

 

Are You Covered by the Act?

If you pay someone rent to live someplace you are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, even if you have never signed a lease! The lists below show what is covered and what is not.

Yes     NO 
Apartments

Houses   

Flats

Mobile homes

Rooming houses

Public housing / Metro housing*                                                        

University owned property

Shelters

Hospitals

Nursing homes or care facilities

Jails

Hotels** 

*Watch Out! Different things may apply to public housing (see Public Housing Section)

** Watch Out! A landlord may try to pass a rooming house or a room that is rented by the week off as a hotel. It appears that a unit is considered a hotel if you pay for a room by the night and the unit is licensed as a hotel by law.

The information on this site contains general legal information only and is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional or other legal advice.  Further, this guide only applies to Residential Tenancies in Nova Scotia. 
Last updated: November 19, 2006.