Changing the Locks in New Brunswick

Section 18 of the Residential Tenancies Act says that during occupancy neither the landlord nor the tenant may alter, or cause to be altered, the lock or locking system on any door that gives entry to the premises. There are two exceptions: mutual consent, or the written authorization of a residential tenancies officer. The rule applies to both sides, so a tenant who rekeys without your agreement is also breaking it.

The province's evictions page states the rule more briefly for the eviction context: locks can only be changed if an officer gives written permission, or in the presence of a sheriff during an eviction. The Act itself also allows a lock change by mutual consent, and that is the version to follow because it is the statute text.

Breaking section 18 is a category F offence under the Provincial Offences Procedure Act, listed in section 28(3) of the Act. No government page reviewed gives a penalty amount, so none is stated here. Ask the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office if you need to know the consequences.

The Act on laws.gnb.ca was consolidated only to February 1, 2025, and Housing NB says a rewrite is targeted for fall 2026. Check the current version before you rely on a section number.

The lock rule sits beside a broader one. Section 20 says a landlord may not regain possession of the premises on the grounds that they are entitled to it. Possession comes back only where the tenant has vacated or abandoned the unit, under a notice to vacate or a termination notice under the Act, or under a notice to quit. A landlord who changes the locks because the tenant is behind on rent, is making noise or is suspected of subletting is acting outside those routes.

Other self-help steps are also restricted. Section 14 says a landlord may not seize a tenant's belongings for unpaid rent. Section 3.1 bars deliberately interfering with the supply of heat, water or electric power, except in an emergency or where needed for maintenance or repairs, and breaking it is also a category F offence. Cutting utilities to push a tenant out is therefore not an option either. See the utilities guide for more.

Eviction runs through the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office and the sheriff. In outline:

1. Serve the right notice. That may be a notice to vacate for unpaid rent or a breach notice under section 5. See the notice to end tenancy guide and the unpaid rent guide.
2. Apply for assistance if the tenant does not leave. The province offers a Landlord Application for Assistance online and as a PDF.
3. An officer may issue an eviction order (Form 9).
4. The sheriff enforces it. After a reasonable demand for admission, the sheriff puts the landlord in possession and may force open the doors.

That last point is the legitimate time for locks to change. The province's evictions page says locks can be changed in the presence of a sheriff during an eviction. Do not schedule a locksmith for the same day on your own, and do not treat a notice alone as an order. The how to evict a tenant guide sets out the whole process.

The province's housing pages list an unauthorized lock change by the landlord as an emergency, and its renters page says tenants have protection from being locked out. Under section 6 of the Act, a tenant may notify the landlord in writing of a failure to meet obligations, apply to a residential tenancies officer, or, where the failure creates an emergency, inform an officer directly. An officer may investigate, require compliance, and in an emergency may perform the landlord's obligations if the landlord cannot be reached.

Whether a lock change counts as a failure to comply with a landlord's obligations under section 6 is not stated in the Act. What is clear is that section 18 is an offence provision and that the province treats the situation as an emergency. Expect a quick complaint to the office from any tenant who finds the door rekeyed. If that happens, call the office promptly and be ready to show the consent or authorization you relied on.

The filing a complaint guide shows the process from the tenant's side, which helps you see what an officer will ask for.

No statute, regulation or lease rule reviewed requires a landlord to give a tenant a key or a copy of a changed key, and none says what a landlord should do when a tenant locks the landlord out. That is a gap in the sources, not permission to do as you like. Because section 18 prevents either side from changing the lock without consent or authorization, the safest approach is to agree in writing on any rekey, and to say who keeps keys.

Keys do not give you a right to enter. Section 16 says a landlord may not enter during the term except as the Act allows. Entry is limited to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., not on a Sunday or holiday, with written notice, except in the listed no-notice cases such as an emergency or tenant consent. The landlord entry guide has the notice periods, and the key Ask page gives a general overview.

Rooms in a boarding house or lodging house have a separate duty. The landlord must ensure sufficient doors, locks and other devices are installed and maintained to make the room reasonably secure.

The province's evictions page says landlords must inform the office if a tenant's belongings were left behind. It does not allow a landlord to withhold or dispose of them. The belongings left behind guide covers the steps.

Before any lock work, ask yourself:

• Is there an eviction order (Form 9) and a sheriff present?
• Do I have the tenant's agreement in writing?
• Do I have an officer's written authorization?

If the answer to all three is no, do not change the lock. A damaged or defective lock is a different case: the province lists it among emergencies, but section 18 still applies to replacing it, so get the tenant's agreement in writing or ask the office first.

This guide explains the rules in general terms; for a specific case, ask the tribunal or a licensed legal professional.