Knowing how much you can increase rents as a landlord in Nova Scotia is critical, especially if you’d like to prevent disputes with your tenants. In this guide, we’ll break down the rules to implement and communicate the new rate with your tenants. We’ll also cover instances where you may qualify to increase rents above the amount permitted under the guidelines.
2025 updates to Nova Scotia’s rent increase guidelines
The rent increase guideline in Nova Scotia for 2025 is 5%. As an example of what this means in practice, suppose you’re currently charging your tenant $1,600 monthly. In that case, you can raise their rent to a maximum of $1,680.
In most cases, you can increase the rent only if 12 months have passed since either the last increase or the start date of the lease. You must provide your tenant with at least four months’ written notice of a rent increase, whether for a fixed-term or month-to-month lease. Weekly leases require a minimum of eight weeks’ notice.
If you remove a service that was originally included in the lease, the action is considered the equivalent of a rent increase. For example, let’s say you add a policy in 2025 that requires your tenant to pay for electricity. In that case, the government would view the discontinuation of the utility as a rent increase, since your tenant now has to pay separately for a service that was previously part of the rental fee.
Rent increase guidelines for land-lease communities
The rent increase guidelines and related legislation differ slightly for rental units in land-lease communities, such as mobile parks. Here are a few key things to remember:
- The maximum allowable rent increase for a mobile home for 2025 is 5.8%.
- You can raise the rent every 12 months, but not during the first 12 month-period of a tenancy.
- If the rent increase is less than 5.8%, you can apply the remaining amount to next year’s increase.
- You must give your tenant at least seven months’ written notice before their lease anniversary date (when they first moved in).
You must also fill out specific documents to raise the rent legally for a mobile home. We’ll cover these in detail later in this guide.
Note: As of February 3, 2023, you can raise the rent on a Nova Scotia property any time during the year, provided you give your tenant four months’ notice and increase the price only once in 12 months.
Rent increase exceptions
You may be able to increase the rent beyond the annual guideline if your rental property is a mobile home. To be considered, you must apply to the Director of Residential Tenancies. The application costs $31.15, and it usually takes one to three months to receive a response.
Click here to learn how to apply for a mobile home rent increase that’s above the allowable guideline.
How to raise rent in Nova Scotia
Below are the steps for raising the rent for a Nova Scotia property in 2025.
Step 1: Determine your new rent price
Start by reviewing your operating costs, such as property taxes, insurance, and repairs. Have they increased during the past year? If so, calculate how much you would have to raise your tenant’s rent to maintain your profit margin.
Next, research the state of the rental market in your area and learn what other landlords are charging. It’s essential to set a price that reflects current demand to stay competitive; otherwise, you risk alienating renters, and in turn, increasing your turnover costs.
Step 2: Prepare the notice of rent increase
You’re legally responsible for informing your tenant in writing when raising their rent in Nova Scotia. If you fail to give them proper notice, they can dispute the change by applying to the Director of Residential Tenancies.
There’s no specific form you need to use to create your notice if you’re increasing the rent price on a standard residential property, such as a detached home, apartment, or townhouse. As per the province’s Residential Tenancies Act, the notice must indicate, at a minimum, the new rental fee and the date it takes effect.
However, if your tenant lives in a mobile home, you’ll need to prepare the notice using the following document:
As mentioned, you may be eligible to raise the rent beyond the annual guideline if you rent out a mobile home. To be considered, you’ll need to complete these two forms along with Form M:
- Form N – Application to Director – Rent Increase Greater Than Annual Allowable Rent Increase Amount
- Form O – Financial Information in Support of a Rent Increase Greater Than Annual Allowable Rent Increase Amount.
The resources below provide more details on how to complete these forms:
While it’s not legally required, it’s wise to include a note with your rent increase notice that explains why you’re raising the rent. This could help ease any concerns your tenant may have.
Step 3: Notify your tenant of the rent increase
In Nova Scotia, you must give your tenant at least four months’ notice before the new rent fee applies. Weekly tenancies are an exception: they require eight weeks’ notice.
How you deliver the rent increase notice is up to you, but you’re responsible for ensuring your tenant receives it on time. Section 8D of the RTA explains their definition of “on time.”
Resolving issues about rent control
There’s always a possibility that your tenant will refuse the new rent price. If this occurs and you can’t resolve the issue yourself, you can seek assistance from the Director of Residential Tenancies.
To file a dispute resolution application, you must complete Form J – Application to Director to resolve dispute between landlord and tenant or apply online. You can learn more about the eligibility and application processes here.
Our final thoughts
The maximum amount you can raise the rent in Nova Scotia for 2025 is 5%. This amount applies to all residential properties in the province, except for those in land-lease communities, such as mobile parks. If your tenant lives in a mobile home, you can increase the rent up to 5.8%. You’ll need permission from the Director of Residential Tenancies to raise your mobile home rent fee higher than this amount.
For rent increases to be considered lawful, you must give your tenant written notice at least four months before it takes effect (seven months for mobile home rental units). This rule applies to both fixed-term and month-to-month leases.
For further details about Nova Scotia’s rent increase guidelines, visit the Government of Nova Scotia website.
