Can a landlord raise rent if another person moves in?

We found no rule in Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act that lets a landlord raise rent because another person moves in, and none that bans it. Our reading is that the usual rent increase rules apply: written notice of 3 tenancy months and at least 365 days between increases, with no increase during a fixed term. We found no rent cap in Alberta.

The lease can list who may live in the unit, and a landlord may ask for the names of the people living there. Check whether your lease sets a different rent for more people before you agree to a new amount.

In British Columbia, rent can go up for extra occupants only if the tenancy agreement has a specific provision saying the rent varies with the number of occupants, or if the landlord and tenant sign a new agreement. Even with such a provision, the rent cannot rise for occupants who are minors. The government's guidance says a tenant should check, before letting someone move in, whether the agreement permits added occupants and whether the rent rises with them.

Otherwise the normal rules apply: 3 full months' notice on the approved form, once every 12 months, and a cap of 2.3% for 2026.

Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch says that if a tenant marries, has a child or adopts a child during the agreement, it is a natural increase in the family, and the landlord cannot give notice to move or ask for more rent because of it unless another term is broken. Adult children, extended family and foster children are not a natural increase, so for them the tenancy agreement and the landlord's agreement matter.

If the agreement includes tenant services and an additional person becomes a permanent occupant, the landlord may increase the tenant services charge by an amount that reflects the value of the increase in tenant services (section 140.5.1). The Manitoba Human Rights Commission warns that charges based on the number of occupants can discriminate against caregivers and multi-generational families. The 2026 rent guideline is 1.8%, with 3 months' notice.

In Saskatchewan, the Act has no section requiring the landlord's consent before a tenant lets another person live in the unit. A written tenancy agreement can state rent that varies with the number of occupants and the amount of the change. Section 52 says that in the Act's rent increase part, "rent increase" does not include an increase for one or more additional occupants that is authorized by such a clause in the tenancy agreement. Our reading, which is SQRFT's interpretation and not a government statement, is that the rent increase notice rules in that part therefore do not apply to an occupant-based increase under such a clause. Ask the Office of Residential Tenancies if you are unsure.

If the lease has no such clause, we found no rule that lets a landlord charge more for an added person. Our reading is that the ordinary rent increase rules apply: 12 months' notice for a periodic tenancy (6 months for a landlord who belongs to a prescribed association of landlords). We found no cap in Saskatchewan.

In Ontario, the standard lease says the landlord cannot stop a tenant from having a roommate as long as municipal occupancy by-laws are respected, and a term banning guests, roommates or additional occupants is void. It also says the landlord cannot charge extra fees or raise the rent because of guests. We found nothing in what we reviewed that speaks to charging more rent because a roommate moves in, so we cannot point to a rule that allows it.

A landlord can still give the ordinary rent increase: 90 days' written notice, no sooner than 12 months after the last increase, and within the 2026 guideline of 2.1% for units it covers. Ask what clause or rule the landlord relies on if you are charged more.

We found no rule in New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act that deals with occupants who are not tenants, that lets a landlord raise rent because another person moves in, or that bans it. Our reading is that the ordinary rent increase process applies: 6 months' notice, with a cap of 3% for the units it covers.

The tenant is responsible for damage and disturbance caused by people they permit on the premises. As advice, if the landlord wants to change who is on the lease, ask for a new written agreement that you both sign.

In Nova Scotia, the standard lease allows only the tenants and occupants named in it to live in the unit without the landlord's written consent. We found no rule that lets a landlord charge extra rent for a named occupant or for a new tenant. Our reading is that the ordinary rent increase process applies: 4 months' notice, once every 12 months, within the 2026 cap of 5%.

The government's lease guide says every adult living in the unit should sign as a tenant, and someone who moves in later should be added to the occupants section. A person who pays or agrees to pay rent to the landlord is treated as a tenant.

PEI's Rental Office says a landlord cannot charge more rent because a new roommate moves in. The Act also bans a guest fee. A landlord can still use the ordinary rent increase process: written notice of 3 months in the approved form, within the 2026 cap of 2%.

A landlord may refuse a proposed sublet or assignment if it would mean an unreasonable number of occupants, and an unreasonable number of occupants can be a ground for a for-cause notice.

We found no rule in Newfoundland and Labrador's Act that lets a landlord raise rent because another person moves in, or one that bans it. The government's Policy 1-002 treats a spouse, children, other family and roommates who have not agreed to pay rent as occupants, not tenants. Our reading is that the ordinary rent increase process applies: 6 months' notice, no increase during a fixed term and no cap that we found.

Adding a paid service needs the tenant's written agreement, so a new charge cannot simply be added to your rent without it.