Residential tenancy policies

Residential tenancy policies include specific information on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Residential tenancy policies help landlords and tenants understand the Residential Tenancies Act. The Residential Tenancies program uses the policies to make decisions under the Residential Tenancies Act.

Residential tenancy officers use the residential tenancy policies when they mediate or settle disputes between tenants and landlords. The policies help to ensure that issues are addressed consistently, even when they aren’t specifically mentioned in the Residential Tenancies Act.

Documents

Abandoned Personal Property Policy: Residential Tenancies

Rules and procedure landlords need to follow when dealing with personal property left behind by tenants at the end of a lease.

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Agreements of Purchase and Sale Policy: Residential Tenancies

How a landlord-tenant relationship is defined by looking at the difference between an Agreement of Purchase and Sale and a lease.

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Alternative Methods of Service Policy: Residential Tenancies

Someone can request an Order for Alternative Service if they’ve tried unsuccessfully to serve someone else with a document.

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Application Fees for Rental Units Policy: Residential Tenancies

Landlords aren’t allowed to charge prospective tenants an application fee when applying to rent a unit.

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Application to Director Policy: Residential Tenancies

How landlords and tenants can get help from a residential tenancy officer to resolve a dispute.

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Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Policy: Residential Tenancies

How a tenant is protected if a landlord goes bankrupt or the property goes into foreclosure.

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Behaviour Policy: Residential Tenancies

Guidance on ending a tenancy if the tenants and landlords can’t resolve behaviour problems.

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Compensation for Loss after Ending a Tenancy Policy: Residential Tenancies

How landlords can be compensated for losses if a tenancy ends early due to a breach of the act or lease agreement.

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Conflict of Interest Policy for residential tenancy officers: Residential Tenancies

Residential tenancy officers have to disqualify themselves from mediation and hearings if there’s a conflict of interest.

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Converting a Mediated Settlement into a Director’s Order Policy: Residential Tenancies

How a residential tenancy officer can issue an Order of the Director if a party fails to comply with a mediated settlement.

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Converting Order of the Director into Order of the Small Claims Court policy: Residential Tenancies

How an Order of the Director can be made an Order of the Small Claims Court if it’s not appealed.

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Counting Days and Determining Notice Periods Policy: Residential Tenancies

How to count months and days so that actions taken and notice periods are valid and follow the Residential Tenancies Act.

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Election Signs and Canvassing Policy: Residential Tenancies

The Director of Residential Tenancies has no jurisdiction to decide disputes concerning election signs or canvassing.

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Evidence Policy: Residential Tenancies

Both applicant and respondent need to provide any relevant evidence at least 5 days before their hearing date.

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Expropriations Policy: Residential Tenancies

How much notice to quit a tenant must be given if the government decides to take over (expropriate) the tenant’s rental.

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First Nations Reserves Policy: Residential Tenancies

The Residential Tenancies Act doesn’t apply to rental property on First Nations reserves.

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Format of Hearings Policy: Residential Tenancies

Hearing formats supported by Residential Tenancies and how to request a hearing format other than a telephone hearing.

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Geographic Jurisdiction of Residential Tenancy Officers Policy

Any residential tenancy officer can investigate Applications to Directors and make decisions no matter where the rental is located in Nova Scotia.

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Guarantee Agreements Policy: Residential Tenancies

Landlords may require a tenant to have someone act as a guarantor for the financial obligations of their tenancy (lease) agreement.

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Investigation and Mediation Policy: Residential Tenancies

If a landlord or tenant applies to have a dispute settled, a residential tenancy officer first investigates and tries to mediate a settlement.

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Military Housing Policy: Residential Tenancies

The Residential Tenancies Act doesn’t apply to an occupancy agreement between an individual and the Canadian Forces Housing Authority.

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Multiple Tenants Policy: Residential Tenancies

Each tenant whose name is on a lease is equally responsible for all the obligations of the lease, including paying rent.

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No Telephone Access Policy: Residential Tenancies

Parties to an Application to the Director need to find access to a telephone or contact the residential tenancy officer to make other arrangements.

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Office Closure Policy: Residential Tenancies

Process a tenant or landlord needs to follow to determine if a scheduled hearing is affected by office closures.

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Policy on buying and selling a manufactured home (mobile home): Residential Tenancies

A tenant in a land-lease community (mobile park) can’t be forced into buying a manufactured home from the landlord, and can buy whatever they want.

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Policy on identifying parties to an order: Residential Tenancies

Parties to an order must be uniquely identified for a Small Claims Court Order to be enforced.

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Policy on water meter installation in land-lease communities (mobile parks): Residential Tenancies

A tenant in a land-lease community (mobile park) can’t be forced to install a water meter and pay for the installation.

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Procedures and conduct policy for hearings: Residential Tenancies

Residential tenancy officers need to be neutral (fair) and professional when dealing with residential tenancy disputes and holding hearings.

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Public Housing Policy: Residential Tenancies

Public housing follows the Residential Tenancies Act, but it has different rules on subletting, income qualifications and rent increases.

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Public Release of Records Policy: Residential Tenancies

Individuals can access their own personal information in residential tenancy application files, while the public has limited access.

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Rent in Advance Policy: Residential Tenancies

A tenant cannot be required to pay rent in advance as a term of a lease.

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Rental Property Conversion Policy: Residential Tenancies

A landlord must meet all requirements of the Rental Property Conversion Act if they want to convert their rental unit into a condo, house or other property.

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Rescheduling or Adjourning Hearings Policy: Residential Tenancies

The process a tenant or landlord needs to follow to ask for their residential tenancy hearing to be rescheduled or adjourned.

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Security Deposit Policy: Residential Tenancies

The maximum a security deposit can be and what happens to it at the end of a lease.

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Service of Documents Policy: Residential Tenancies

Several residential tenancy documents need to be delivered in a way that can be proven, like by registered mail or in person.

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Standard Form of Lease Policy: Residential Tenancies

The conditions in the Standard Form of Lease apply to all residential rental agreements, even if people use another form or a spoken agreement.

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Standards of Health, Safety or Housing Policy: Residential Tenancies

Landlords need to keep rental properties in a good state of repair and liveable during the tenancy.

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Superintendents as Tenants Policy: Residential Tenancies

Superintendents are considered to be tenants and have all the rights and responsibilities as any other tenant, except for tenure.

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Tenant Application to Rent Residential Premises Policy: Residential Tenancies

Landlords can use rental applications as long as the questions don’t violate the Human Rights Act and there’s no fee.

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Unreturned Certificate of Service Policy: Residential Tenancies

The applicant needs to return the Certificate of Service Form within 7 days or the residential tenancy officer may close the file.

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