Improved Website to Help Tenants and Landlords

Tenants and landlords will have better insight into how residential tenancy disputes can be resolved and other important information on renting properties, thanks to an improved tenancies website launched today, Sept. 1.

The new website also provides tips for choosing a home to rent, lease contracts and termination policies, rent increases, options for resolving disputes with your landlord and security deposits. It also includes information on policies that residential tenancy officers follow when they mediate or adjudicate disputes.

"The majority of rental relationships are problem-free in Nova Scotia," said Jamie Muir, Minster of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "However, if problems do arise, our website and toll-free information line give tenants and landlords information they need to help sort out their difficulties."

Most tenants pay a security deposit when they rent a home. This is intended to compensate a landlord for damages a tenant does to a suite beyond normal wear and tear and any unpaid rent or bills. At the end of a tenancy, a landlord must return a tenant's security deposit with interest, minus any deductions. The new website also includes a security deposit interest calculator that helps tenants determine how much interest they are owed on their deposit at the end of their lease.

"It is important to learn about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant or landlord," said Gerald Hashey, director of residential tenancies at Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "The right information at the right time can help people to avoid or fix their problems."

The residential tenancies program helps landlords and tenants understand their rights and exercise those rights when necessary. More information on the program is available on the Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations website at www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/consumer/resten or by contacting the department at 424-5200 in Halifax or toll-free at 1-800-670-4357.