My landlord is trying to charge me for repairs. Can they?
Last updated: October 15, 2026
Short answer
A landlord can charge you only for damage that you or your guests caused beyond normal wear and tear, and for cleaning only if you left the unit less clean than your province expects. It cannot charge you for wear that comes with ordinary use, such as faded paint or a carpet worn thin, and in the provinces that publish a method the charge is cut for the age of the item, so you do not pay the price of a new one. Even a valid charge has to follow your province's process: your written agreement, a claim to the tenancy office, or an application to the tribunal. If you get a bill you disagree with, ask for an itemized breakdown in writing, compare it with your move-in report and photos, and dispute it through your province's tenancy office.
What a landlord can and cannot charge you for
Most disputes over repair bills come down to one question: is this damage, or is it ordinary ageing? The provinces covered here draw the line in much the same place.
- Damage beyond normal wear and tear. Harm that you or someone you let in caused on purpose or through carelessness is yours to put right. The landlord has to show the damage, who caused it and what it cost.
- Not wear and tear. Paint, carpet and fixtures that have simply aged with ordinary use are not your cost. British Columbia's examples are faded paint, minor scuff marks and worn carpet, and Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board uses a carpet worn out after years of everyday use. Alberta's handbook says spilled liquids, cigarette burns and oil stains on carpet are not normal wear and tear.
- Cleaning. You can be charged only if you left the unit less clean than the standard your province sets (reasonably clean or ordinarily clean, depending on the province). See can a landlord charge for cleaning.
- Repairs the landlord owes. The provinces covered here put the duty to keep the rental in repair, and fit to live in, on the landlord. See what to do if your landlord refuses repairs.
- Age is taken off. Where a province publishes a method, the award reflects the item's age. British Columbia's Policy Guideline 40 gives interior paint a useful life of 6 years and carpet 12 years, and its example is a 5-year-old dishwasher with a 10-year life, replaced for $900, which may justify about $450. Manitoba awards the loss of value: a carpet with a 14-year useful life, 10 years old, costing $1,000 to replace, led to an award of $285.72. Newfoundland and Labrador treats a floor with a 10-year life and 5 years left as worth half its cost.
For the full test, see what is considered normal wear and tear in a rental, and for who can sue whom, can a landlord sue a tenant for damages.
Can the landlord take repair costs from your deposit?
A landlord cannot just keep the money. Each province sets a process, and the deadlines are short. The table shows the main steps.
| Province | Repair costs from the deposit | Landlord's deadline | Where a dispute goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Damage only, and only if the move-in and move-out reports were done; nothing for wear and tear; cleaning only if you agreed to it in the lease or the move-out report | Return the deposit or send a statement within 10 days after you give up possession | RTDRS (up to $100,000) or the Alberta Court of Justice |
| British Columbia | Only with your written agreement or an order from the Residential Tenancy Branch | Apply within 15 days after the later of the tenancy ending and getting your forwarding address in writing, or owe you double | Residential Tenancy Branch (up to $35,000) |
| Manitoba | Yes, through a claim; the Branch awards the loss of value | Written notice of the claim within 28 days; no claim means return within 14 days | Residential Tenancies Branch |
| Saskatchewan | Yes, through a claim; a lease cannot charge for cleaning automatically | Claim within 7 business days, or apply to the ORT on Form 9c within 1 year (up to $30,000) | Office of Residential Tenancies (you dispute within 60 days after the tenancy ends) |
| Ontario | No: the rent deposit cannot be used for repairs; the landlord applies to the Board | L2 while you are still in possession, or L10 within 1 year after you move out | Landlord and Tenant Board (up to $50,000) |
| New Brunswick | Yes, through a claim for damage or lack of ordinary cleanliness; not for wear and tear | Claim to the TLRO within 7 days after the tenancy ends | Tenant and Landlord Relations Office (an officer decides) |
| Nova Scotia | Only with your written consent or a Form R claim; not for wear and tear | Form R within 10 days after the lease ends | Residential Tenancies Program (you can use Form S or Form J within 1 year) |
| Prince Edward Island | Only with your written agreement or a Form 2B application the landlord must prove | Apply within 15 days after the tenancy ends, or pay double | Rental Office (you apply on Form 2A within 6 months after the tenancy ends) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Only with your written consent or the director's decision | Deposit returned within 10 days after you vacate unless there is a claim | Residential Tenancies Office (apply within 1 year) |
For the full deposit rules, see when can a landlord keep a security deposit and what to do when your landlord won't return your deposit.
How to dispute a charge you think is wrong
The steps below are SQRFT advice, not law, and the deadlines in the table above still apply.
- Ask for the charge in writing. Request an itemized breakdown with invoices, receipts and photos, and a note of which items are damage and which are cleaning.
- Compare it with your move-in report and photos. If a stain, scuff or worn patch was already there, or it looks like ordinary ageing, say so in writing. A report signed by both sides at the start settles most arguments. Alberta, British Columbia and PEI require inspections, and Manitoba requires one if either side asks.
- Check the age. Ask what the item was worth when it was damaged, not what a new one costs. Ask how old the paint, carpet or appliance was.
- Do not sign anything you disagree with. In several provinces a landlord needs your written agreement to keep deposit money, so a signature can end your dispute.
- Reply in writing and watch the deadlines. Then apply to your province's tenancy office or tribunal. See what is the RTDRS for Alberta, and how to report a landlord for the other offices.
Repair charges in each province
Alberta
Alberta tenants must not do or permit significant damage and must keep the premises reasonably clean. A landlord cannot deduct anything from the security deposit for normal wear and tear, and can deduct for damage only if the move-in and move-out inspection reports were done (inspections are within 1 week before or after each move, and reports are kept for 3 years). Cleaning can be deducted only if the tenant agreed to it in the lease or the move-out report.
The government's handbook says spills, burns and stains are not wear and tear, and a landlord cannot charge a leaving tenant for a whole new carpet just because the old one was due to be replaced. For the rest, the landlord can apply to the RTDRS (within 2 years, up to $100,000) or the Alberta Court of Justice, and a tenant who disagrees with a deduction can apply to the same places.
Alberta move-in and move-out inspection | Alberta tenant repairs and maintenance
British Columbia
A British Columbia tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear, and does not have to repair wear and tear. The Residential Tenancy Branch lists faded paint, minor scuffs and worn carpet as wear and tear. Tenants are generally expected to steam clean carpets after a tenancy of a year or more (or any length with uncaged pets or smoking), patch nail holes and clean marks on walls, and the landlord is expected to provide clean carpets and windows at the start.
Compensation for damage is reduced for the age of the item, using the useful lives in Policy Guideline 40. To take money from the deposit, the landlord needs your written agreement or a Branch order, and must apply within 15 days or owe you double. A landlord who skips the inspection loses the right to claim the deposit for damage but can still file a separate claim, and the application is due within 2 years. A pet damage deposit can be used only for pet damage unless you agree.
BC move-in and move-out inspection | BC tenant repairs guide
Manitoba
A Manitoba tenant is not liable for reasonable wear and tear and must leave the unit ordinarily clean. The landlord must keep up the unit's appearance, having regard to how long the tenancy has lasted. The Residential Tenancies Branch says a tenant only has to shampoo or steam clean a carpet they stained, hanging pictures in a reasonable way is not damage, and as a rule a tenant should not fill nail holes.
For damage, the Branch awards the loss of value, not the cost of a new item, and may award up to $20 an hour for cleaning. With no claim, the deposit goes back within 14 days; a claim needs written notice within 28 days. A condition report is done only if either side asks, but the Branch recommends one every time. We found no tenant deadline in the sources we reviewed, so ask the Branch.
Manitoba condition reports | Manitoba repairs and maintenance
Saskatchewan
A Saskatchewan tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged, except for reasonable wear and tear. We found no definition of wear and tear in the Act and no government useful-life guide, so a disputed charge is decided by the Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT). A lease cannot charge for cleaning automatically.
A landlord claims cleaning or damage against the deposit within 7 business days after the tenant moves out, or applies to the ORT on Form 9c within 1 year, for up to $30,000. The landlord's claim is heard if the tenant disputes it by applying to the ORT within 60 days after the tenancy ends. The landlord must take reasonable steps to keep its loss down. An inspection is optional in law, so dated photos matter.
Saskatchewan move-in and move-out reports | Saskatchewan repairs and maintenance
Ontario
An Ontario landlord cannot take repair costs from the deposit, because the only deposits allowed are a last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit. For undue damage caused wilfully or negligently, the landlord applies to the Landlord and Tenant Board under section 89 for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement, on an L2 while the tenant is still in possession or an L10 within 1 year after the tenant moves out. The Board's limit is $50,000 (since October 1, 2025).
A tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness (section 33) and for undue damage (section 34), but not for damage from normal use. When something wears out, such as a carpet after years of everyday use, the landlord must repair it, though it does not have to supply a new or better model. No condition report is required. A tenant who paid money the Act does not allow can apply to the Board under section 135 within 1 year.
New Brunswick
A New Brunswick tenant keeps the unit in ordinary cleanliness, and reasonable wear and tear is not the tenant's responsibility. The landlord must deliver the unit clean (section 3(1)(a)). The deposit can be used for unpaid rent, utilities, late payment fees the lease required, and failure to keep the place ordinarily clean or to repair damage.
The landlord sends its claim to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO) within 7 days after the tenancy ends, and a residential tenancies officer decides; the decision is final subject to review by the Court of King's Bench (section 27). A tenant applies to the TLRO too, and joint tenants apply separately. An inspection is optional but the province says to do one. We found no officer power to order more than the deposit for damage, so ask the TLRO where a larger claim goes.
New Brunswick condition reports | New Brunswick repairs and maintenance
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's Act defines wear and tear as the usual depreciation from living in the unit, measured against the length of the lease, and deductions from the deposit are for unpaid rent and damage the tenant caused, not ordinary wear and tear. The Act's statutory conditions put keeping the premises in repair on the landlord, and ordinary cleanliness plus wilful or negligent damage on the tenant.
To keep money for damage, the landlord needs your written consent or must file a Form R claim within 10 days after the lease ends. A tenant can use Form S or Form J within 1 year after the lease ends. An inspection report is not required, but the standard lease recommends one within 7 days after the start and the end of the tenancy, and a signed report becomes part of the lease.
Nova Scotia condition reports | Nova Scotia repairs and maintenance
Prince Edward Island
A PEI tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged, except for reasonable wear and tear, by 5 p.m. on the last day of the tenancy, and does not have to repair wear and tear. The landlord needs your written agreement to keep deposit money, or must apply to the Rental Office on Form 2B within 15 days after the tenancy ends. The landlord carries the burden of proof, and a landlord who does neither can be required to pay you double.
A tenant applies on Form 2A, during the tenancy or within 6 months after it ends. Move-in and move-out inspections on Form 5 are required for tenancies from April 8, 2023, and the Director may draw an adverse inference against a party who skipped them. The Rental Office has exclusive jurisdiction over these disputes.
Newfoundland and Labrador
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the statutory conditions have the tenant keep the premises clean and repair damage that the tenant or guests cause wilfully or negligently, and have the landlord keep them in good repair. The Residential Tenancies Office says wear and tear is not the tenant's cost, expects the landlord to repaint and replace flooring from time to time at its own cost, and reduces damage claims for age: a floor with a 10-year life and 5 years left is worth half its cost.
A landlord who does the repair itself can claim its own labour at minimum wage plus $8 an hour. The deposit goes back within 10 days after the tenant vacates unless there is a claim, and a claim needs the tenant's written consent or the director's decision. Either side can apply to the Office within 1 year. A condition report is optional but recommended.
Newfoundland and Labrador condition reports | Newfoundland and Labrador repairs and maintenance
Related questions
What if my landlord wants me to pay for repairs?
First ask what the repair is for. You can be charged for damage that you or your guests caused beyond normal wear and tear, but not for wear from ordinary use, and not for repairs that the landlord owes you as part of keeping the unit in repair. Ask for an itemized bill with photos and receipts in writing, and do not sign an agreement to pay until you have compared it with your move-in report. If you disagree, the landlord has to use your province's process to collect, as the table above shows.
How to fight landlord charges for repairs and damage?
Ask for the breakdown in writing, compare it with your move-in report and dated photos, and challenge anything that is ordinary ageing or that was already there when you moved in. Ask for the age of the item too, because British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador reduce awards for age. Then dispute the charge with your province's tenancy office or tribunal before the deadline. Our advice is to keep every message in writing. See what to do when your landlord won't return your deposit for the offices and deadlines.
What if my landlord wants me to pay for painting?
Only if the repainting is needed because of damage you caused, not because the paint has aged with ordinary use. British Columbia's RTB lists faded paint as wear and tear, and its Policy Guideline 40 gives interior paint a useful life of 6 years, so the amount is reduced for the paint's age. Manitoba awards the loss of value, and Newfoundland and Labrador expects landlords to repaint from time to time at their own cost. See can a tenant paint without permission if you painted the walls yourself.
Is the landlord or the tenant responsible for painting?
Paint that has aged through ordinary use is wear and tear, which the provinces covered here do not make the tenant's cost, and the tenant pays only for damage beyond that. Newfoundland and Labrador's Residential Tenancies Office also expects landlords to repaint from time to time at their own cost. We found no rule in the Acts we reviewed that says who must repaint a unit at the end of a tenancy. If you changed the colour without a written yes, ask the tenancy office, because we found no published decision on whether that counts as damage.
How often does a landlord have to paint?
We found no number in the Acts or guides we reviewed. British Columbia's Policy Guideline 40 gives interior paint a useful life of 6 years, but that is used to reduce compensation for damage, not as a repainting schedule. Newfoundland and Labrador's Office expects landlords to repaint walls from time to time at their own cost. See do landlords have to clean between tenants for what a landlord does between tenants.
What if my landlord wants to paint my apartment, or refuses to paint?
We found no rule in the Acts we reviewed that requires a landlord to repaint on a schedule, so we found no rule you can rely on to make a landlord repaint unless the paint is damaged or part of a repair problem. Ask your tenancy office if you are unsure. If the landlord wants to come in to paint while you live there, the entry rules apply; see are landlords allowed to enter the property. In Alberta, painting and replacing floor covering do not count as major renovations for ending a tenancy; see can I be evicted for renovations. Ask the landlord for any plan in writing.
What if my landlord wants carpets professionally cleaned?
The test is the condition you left the carpet in, not who cleans it. In British Columbia a tenant is generally expected to steam clean carpets after a tenancy of a year or more (or any length with uncaged pets or smoking). In Manitoba a tenant only has to shampoo or steam clean a carpet they stained. Saskatchewan does not let a lease charge for cleaning automatically, Alberta needs cleaning charges you agreed to, and in Ontario the rent deposit cannot be used for cleaning. See can a landlord charge for cleaning.
What if my landlord wants me to pay for new carpet?
Not for a carpet that has worn out with ordinary use. Alberta says a landlord cannot charge a leaving tenant for a new carpet just because the old one was due for replacement, and Ontario's Board says the landlord repairs what wears out. If you did damage the carpet, the award is reduced for age: British Columbia gives carpet a useful life of 12 years, and Manitoba's example is an award of $285.72 for a 10-year-old carpet with a 14-year life that cost $1,000 to replace.
Does the landlord have to pay for repairs, and what if the landlord refuses?
Yes for the unit's upkeep: every province covered here puts the duty to keep the rental in repair and up to housing standards on the landlord, and the tenant pays for damage the tenant or guests cause. If the landlord refuses to pay for a repair it owes, put the request in writing, give a reasonable time, then apply to your tenancy office. In Alberta the RTDRS cannot order a landlord to do a repair, but can order a rent reduction or compensation. See what to do if your landlord refuses repairs.
What if my landlord refuses to fix my AC?
Treat it like any other appliance or system the landlord supplies. Alberta's government lists heating and air conditioning (if there is any) and appliances the landlord provides among the landlord's usual repair responsibilities, and Saskatchewan's standard conditions require the landlord to keep services and facilities included with the rent, such as appliances, in a good and functional state of repair. If you broke it through misuse or neglect, the repair can be your cost, but normal wear and tear is not. Ask for the repair in writing and keep a copy. Whether a landlord has to supply air conditioning at all is covered in do landlords have to supply air conditioning.
Can a landlord take repair costs out of my deposit?
Only for damage you caused, and only through your province's process. In British Columbia, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador the landlord needs your written agreement or a decision from the tenancy office. In Ontario the rent deposit cannot be used for repairs at all. Nothing can be deducted for normal wear and tear. See when can a landlord keep a security deposit.
Can a landlord charge me for repairs after I move out?
Yes, but the landlord has a deadline. The time limits we found are 15 days in British Columbia and PEI to claim against the deposit, 10 days in Nova Scotia, 7 business days in Saskatchewan, 7 days in New Brunswick and 28 days in Manitoba. Ontario's Board allows an L10 within 1 year after you move out, and Alberta's RTDRS allows 2 years. The landlord also has to prove the damage and its cost.
Government sources
- Government of Alberta: Residential Tenancies Act
- Government of Alberta: Residential tenancies handbook
- Government of Alberta: RTDRS overview
- Government of BC: Repairs and maintenance
- Government of BC: Policy Guideline 1
- Government of BC: Policy Guideline 40
- Government of BC: Returning deposits
- Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch: Deposit claims, guidelines for decisions
- Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch: Cleaning at the end of a tenancy
- Government of Saskatchewan: Requesting repairs
- Government of Saskatchewan: Settling disputes and steps to a hearing
- Government of Ontario: Residential Tenancies Act, 2006
- Landlord and Tenant Board: Collecting money a former tenant owes
- Government of New Brunswick: Residential Tenancies Act
- Government of New Brunswick: Deposits
- Government of New Brunswick: Inspections
- Government of Nova Scotia: Residential tenancies guide, renting
- Government of Nova Scotia: Security deposit claim
- PEI Residential Tenancy Act
- PEI Rental Office: Security deposits FAQs
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Tenant obligations
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador: Compensation for damage to rental premises
General information, not legal advice. Rules change; check your province's tenancy office before acting.
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