What to do if your landlord refuses repairs?

If air conditioning came with the unit, ask for the repair in writing and follow the same steps as any other repair. Alberta lists heating and air conditioning (if there is any) as usually the landlord's responsibility, Saskatchewan requires landlords to keep services and facilities included with the rent in good repair, and Manitoba's repair duty covers services and facilities the landlord promised. In Ontario, air conditioning is not a vital service, but from July 1, 2026, a tenant whose landlord does not supply AC can install a window or portable unit after giving written notice, as long as it is installed safely, causes no damage and follows local by-laws, subject to some exceptions. If the landlord still will not act, apply to your province's tenancy office.

Mould is generally handled under the landlord's duty to keep the home in good repair and up to health and housing standards. Alberta's housing standards require homes to be waterproof, windproof and weatherproof, and PEI's public health rules require rental homes to be damp-proof and vermin-proof. Ask for the repair in writing, then contact a health or building inspector (for example Alberta Health Services Environmental Public Health, or in Newfoundland and Labrador the municipal building inspector or the department of health) and apply to your tenancy office. If the cause is a leak in the pipes or roof, it is an emergency repair in BC and PEI.

Treat it as urgent. A failed primary heating system is an emergency repair in BC and PEI, and New Brunswick's tenancy office treats heat as an emergency repair the landlord must make without delay. Alberta (22°C), Manitoba (21°C by day and 18.3°C overnight), Ontario (20°C from September 1 to June 15 where the landlord provides heat) and PEI (65°F, about 18°C, where the owner supplies heat) set minimum temperatures; in the other provinces there is no provincial figure, so check your city's bylaw, and most provinces bar landlords from cutting off heat they supply. Tell the landlord in writing and, if it is not fixed, contact your tenancy office, your local health or bylaw office (Manitoba's Environmental Health Office handles temperature complaints), or in Ontario the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit for vital services.

Most provinces do not set a fixed number of days for ordinary repairs: Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador call for a reasonable time after you ask. New Brunswick is the exception, giving the landlord 7 days after a written notice of complaint for non-urgent problems, and in Manitoba an Order to Repair from the Branch sets a deadline. Emergencies are faster: Manitoba says emergency repairs must be done immediately, New Brunswick requires them without delay, and in BC and PEI you can arrange an emergency repair yourself if the landlord does not act within a reasonable time after you try the emergency contact.

Not if the repair is part of their legal duty. Every province requires landlords to keep rentals in good repair and up to health, safety and housing standards, and in BC, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador that applies even if you knew about the problem when you moved in. Damage that you, your household or your guests caused is generally yours to fix or pay for. If the landlord refuses a repair that is their job, apply to your province's tenancy office for an order.

Only for damage you are responsible for. In most provinces a tenant must repair damage caused by their own actions or neglect, or by people they let in, and in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador the rule covers damage caused wilfully or negligently. Normal wear and tear is not the tenant's cost in BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and PEI. In Saskatchewan, treating pests is generally the landlord's cost unless the tenant caused the infestation. If you disagree with a bill, either side can take it to the province's tenancy office.

Treat it as an essential service. Hot water is a vital service in Ontario and Manitoba, and Alberta's housing standards require a continuous supply of water unless your agreement makes utilities your responsibility. Nova Scotia landlords cannot stop a water service they provide without proper notice or the Director's permission, and in Newfoundland and Labrador neither side may disconnect water without the other's written consent. Damaged or blocked water pipes and plumbing fixtures are emergency repairs in BC and PEI, and New Brunswick treats water as an emergency repair the landlord must make without delay. Tell the landlord in writing right away and, if it is not fixed, apply to your tenancy office, asking for an emergency hearing where one is available, such as Form DR9 in Nova Scotia.

The tenancy office can step in. In most provinces the office or tribunal can order the landlord to do the work, and in Alberta the RTDRS or court can award damages, cut rent, repay you for doing the landlord's repairs or end the tenancy. In BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador, rent can be ordered paid to the office until the problem is fixed, Manitoba's Branch can hire a contractor, and New Brunswick's officer can do the work and redirect rent to pay for it. Ontario's Board can let you pay rent into the Board while your application is decided and can stop rent increases until the work is done. Serious failures can also end the tenancy, for example a material breach in Saskatchewan or Newfoundland and Labrador.

Emergency repairs have the shortest timelines. Manitoba says they must be done immediately, and New Brunswick requires work needed to keep heat, water and electricity to be done without delay. BC and PEI do not set a number of hours, but if the landlord does not act within a reasonable time after you try the emergency contact (at least two phone calls in BC), you can arrange the repair and be repaid, within seven days of a written claim in PEI. In Nova Scotia you can ask for an emergency hearing with Form DR9, which takes 2 to 3 days to review, and in BC urgent safety and security repairs can use the expedited hearing process.

You cannot force the landlord yourself, but your province's tenancy office can. Put the request in writing, keep a copy and allow a reasonable time, then apply: the office can order the landlord to act and, depending on the province, cut your rent, award compensation or have rent paid to the office until the work is done. Do not stop paying rent to pressure the landlord, as it can lead to eviction; see Can I withhold rent from my landlord? In several provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, a landlord also cannot evict you for complaining or using your rights.

If the landlord supplied it, generally yes. Alberta lists appliances provided by the landlord as usually the landlord's responsibility, Saskatchewan requires landlords to keep appliances included with the rent in working order, and New Brunswick landlords must maintain any items they supply with the unit. The same goes for a stove, oven, washer or other appliance the landlord provided. If you broke it through misuse or neglect, the repair can fall on you.

Yes, unless you or your guests broke it. Windows are part of the building's structure, which Alberta lists as usually the landlord's responsibility, and Alberta's housing standards require homes to be windproof and weatherproof. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the tenancy office gives heat loss from an unrepaired window or door as an example where a tenant can get a rent rebate. Ask for the repair in writing and apply to your tenancy office if it is not done.

Start with the landlord, in writing, then go to your province's tenancy office: the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or the Alberta Court of Justice in Alberta (the RTDRS cannot order repairs, but it can award money, such as a rent reduction), the Residential Tenancy Branch in BC, the Residential Tenancies Branch in Manitoba, the Office of Residential Tenancies in Saskatchewan, the Landlord and Tenant Board in Ontario, a residential tenancies officer at the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office in New Brunswick, the Director in Nova Scotia (Form J), the Rental Office in PEI and the Residential Tenancies Office in Newfoundland and Labrador.

For health and safety problems such as no heat or unsanitary conditions you can also call an inspector. Alberta Health Services Environmental Public Health does not reveal who complained, many Ontario municipalities have property standards by-laws that the municipality enforces, and in Newfoundland and Labrador you can ask the municipality for a building inspector or go to the department of health. SQRFT advice: if it is an emergency, try the landlord's emergency contact first.

Treat a leak or a plumbing failure as urgent and tell the landlord in writing right away, with photos. In BC and PEI, major leaks in pipes or the roof and damaged or blocked water or sewer pipes or plumbing fixtures are emergency repairs, and the sources we reviewed do not say whether a particular fixture such as a toilet counts, so ask the Residential Tenancy Branch or the Rental Office. If the landlord does not act within a reasonable time after you try the emergency contact, you can arrange the repair and be repaid (in BC by giving the landlord a written account with receipts, in PEI within seven days of a written claim with receipts).

Elsewhere, the Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch guide says emergency repairs must be done immediately, New Brunswick requires work to keep water running to be done without delay, and Alberta expects homes to be waterproof with working plumbing. If the landlord still does nothing, apply to your tenancy office and ask for an emergency hearing where one exists, such as Form DR9 in Nova Scotia (it is only available after you have filed Form J and before the other side is served). SQRFT advice: keep paying your rent while you wait, because Manitoba usually will not proceed while rent is owing unless there is an immediate health or safety risk, and Newfoundland and Labrador will not accept a repair application if rent is in arrears.