What is the Residential Tenancies Act?

Alberta's law is the Residential Tenancies Act (SA 2004, c R-17.1). Disputes go to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or the Alberta Court of Justice. Landlord and tenant duties are set out as "covenants" (landlord s.16, tenant s.21), and contracting out of the Act is void (s.3).

The Act does not apply to mobile home sites, business premises with living space under one agreement, rooms in the landlord's own living quarters where the landlord lives, hotels, motels and lodges for stays under 6 consecutive months, student housing without exclusive self-contained units, continuing care, supportive living, correctional facilities, and prescribed places such as approved hospitals.

British Columbia's law is the Residential Tenancy Act (SBC 2002, c 78), with "Tenancy" in the singular. The Residential Tenancy Branch decides disputes. Standard terms are set out in a schedule to the Regulation, and the parties cannot contract out of the Act (s.5). A person under 19 may sign a tenancy agreement (s.3).

The Act does not apply to co-operative housing, student or employee housing run by an educational institution, rooms where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner, living space within business premises rented under one agreement, vacation or travel accommodation, emergency shelter or transitional housing, care facilities and hospitals, correctional facilities, tenancies longer than 20 years, manufactured home parks, and prescribed places.

Manitoba's law is The Residential Tenancies Act (CCSM c R119). The Residential Tenancies Branch decides disputes, and appeals go to the Residential Tenancies Commission. The Act applies despite any agreement or waiver (s.2), and the provisions of the prescribed Form 1 are deemed to be part of the lease (s.7(4)).

The Act does not apply to transient hotel-type stays, vacation homes, co-operatives, correctional or therapeutic housing, temporary shelters, hospitals, hospices and care homes, housing run by educational institutions, religious accommodation, and business or agricultural premises with living space attached under one lease. The Branch treats shared accommodation in the owner's own home as outside its jurisdiction, decided case by case.

Saskatchewan's law is The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (SS 2006, c R-22.0001). The Office of Residential Tenancies decides disputes. The Standard Conditions in Schedule 1 of the Regulations, 28 headings in all, are part of every tenancy (s.18), and an agreement that the Act does not apply is void (s.6).

The Act does not apply to living space rented with business premises under one agreement, hotels and similar stays under six consecutive months, crisis shelters, hospitals and care homes, housing on a farm rented by the person farming it, YMCA, YWCA or Salvation Army housing, life leases or leases of 20 years or more, and regulation exclusions such as educational institution housing and Oxford House. We found no exclusion for sharing a kitchen with the owner.

Ontario's law is the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (SO 2006, c 17). The Landlord and Tenant Board (the "LTB") decides disputes. The Act applies despite any agreement (s.3(1)). Ontario has no list of statutory conditions; the standard lease form is mandatory for most tenancies (O. Reg. 9/18 s.4).

The Act does not apply to travel and vacation accommodation, farm-employee housing, non-profit co-operative member units, correctional facilities, hospital and long-term care, emergency shelters, educational institution housing under conditions, rooms where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner or the owner's close family who live in the building, business or farm premises with living space, and some rehabilitative and respite housing. Care homes are covered, with special rules in Part IX.

New Brunswick's law is the Residential Tenancies Act (chapter R-10.2), which applies despite the Landlord and Tenant Act or any agreement (s.2(a)). Residential tenancies officers at the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office, which runs under the New Brunswick Housing Corporation, decide disputes. There is no list called statutory conditions; the mandatory Standard Form of Lease repeats the Act's obligations.

The Act does not apply to business or farm premises, employee housing, vacation homes, rooms where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with a resident landlord, tourist establishments for stays under 90 consecutive days, student housing, nursing homes, and certain premises under the National Housing Act and co-operatives (s.29.1). A rewrite is under way; the government published a "What We Heard" report on September 16, 2026.

Nova Scotia's law is the Residential Tenancies Act (RSNS 1989, c 401). The Director of Residential Tenancies, through the Residential Tenancies Program, decides disputes. The Act applies despite any agreement (s.3(1)), and statutory conditions are set out in s.9(1) and in clause 20 of the standard lease.

The Act does not apply to universities, hospitals and similar institutions, maternity homes, nursing homes, registered short-term rentals only while they are used as such, and residential care facilities (s.2(h)). We found no exclusion for sharing a kitchen with the owner.

Prince Edward Island's law is the Residential Tenancy Act (RSPEI 1988, c R-13.11), with "Tenancy" in the singular. It came into force on April 8, 2023 and replaced the Rental of Residential Property Act. The Director of Residential Tenancy at the Rental Office decides disputes, and the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission hears appeals only. Statutory conditions are in Schedule A and are deemed part of every tenancy (s.10(1)). The Act's protections cannot be waived (s.5), and a person under 18 may sign (s.3).

The Act does not apply to tourism-licensed accommodation (unless a guest stays two months or more), correctional or therapeutic housing, temporary shelters, hospitals and nursing homes, educational institution housing, child-protection housing, certain Social Assistance Act institutions, transient religious or charitable housing, co-operatives, and prescribed places. We found no exclusion for sharing a kitchen with the owner.

Newfoundland and Labrador's law is the Residential Tenancies Act, 2018 (SNL 2018, c R-14.2), in force since January 1, 2019. The Residential Tenancies Office decides disputes. Eight statutory conditions (s.10(1)) cannot be waived, and a written agreement must reproduce them (s.10(2)).

The Act does not apply to transient stays, vacation homes, correctional or therapeutic housing, shelters, hospitals and nursing homes, educational housing, transient religious or charitable housing, co-operatives, and business premises with living space attached (s.3(4)), among others. We found no exclusion for shared facilities in the current Act.