What’s New For 2023

The Nova Scotia rent increase guideline for 2023 is 2%, which means if the landlord provides a tenant with proper written notice, they can increase the rent on a residential rental unit from $1,000 to $1,020.

Rules for Increasing Rent

The landlord must give proper written notice of the rent increase before it takes effect.

• For yearly tenancies, the landlord must give at least 4 months of notice to the tenant before the rent increase can take effect.
• For monthly tenancies, the landlord must give at least 4 months of notice to the tenant before the rent increase can take effect.
• For weekly tenancies, the landlord must give at least 8 weeks notice to the tenant before the rent increase can take effect.

In most cases, the rent for a residential unit can be increased 12 months after:

• The last legal rent increase
• The start date of tenancy

Rent Increase Notice Guidelines

To be effective, a rent increase notice must include:

• The name and contact details of the landlord
• The address of the rental unit
• The current rent amount
• The new rent amount proposed
• The date when the increase will take effect
• The date and signature of the landlord

Don’t forget, if you do not give proper notice to the tenant before attempting to increase the rent, your tenant can dispute the increase.

Rules For Increasing Rent In A Mobile Park

The rent increase guideline for 2023 in a mobile park is 1%. This means the rent can be increased from $1,000 to $1,010. In order for a landlord to increase the rent in a land-lease community, they would need to provide the tenant with 7 months of proper written notice.

Landlords of land-lease communities must use Form M – Notice of Rent Increase for Manufactured Home Space to give their tenants proper notification of the increase. If the landlord wants to increase the rent by more than the Annual Allowable Rent Increase Amount, they would have to apply to the Director of Residential Tenancies.

In order to be considered for the additional increase, the landlord must complete the following forms:

• Form M Notice of Rent Increase for Manufactured Home Space
• Form N Landlord’s Application to Director for Rent Increase Greater than Annual Allowable Rent Increase Amount
• Form O Financial Information for Rent Increase Greater than Annual Allowable Rent Increase Amount
• Form C – Tenant’s Notice to Quit

Resolving Issues About Rent Increase

In a case where the tenant objects to the rent increase, they can dispute the cause to the Residential Tenancies Program or they can choose to terminate the lease with the landlord. The tenant would have to fill out Form C – Tenant’s Notice to Quit before the rental agreement expires.

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