Landlord Registration and Licensing in Nova Scotia

For an ordinary long-term rental, no provincial landlord registry or licence was found. The research behind this guide checked the Residential Tenancies Act, the Regulations, the province's consolidated statutes index and the Residential Tenancies Program guides, and none of them sets up a landlord registry.

That is a finding about those sources, not a guarantee that no rule exists anywhere. Two things do require registration, and both are narrow:

• Short-term rental hosts, under provincial law.
• Rental housing inside the Halifax Regional Municipality, under a municipal by-law.

Your lease, your deposit and your notices still follow the Residential Tenancies Act. See how to become a landlord in Nova Scotia for the basics, and how to become a landlord for the general question.

Since 2024 the Director of Residential Tenancies may publish orders, or summaries of orders, under s. 17AA of the Residential Tenancies Act. Some people read that as a landlord register. It is not. It covers decisions, not licensed or registered landlords, and you do not apply to be on it. Residential Tenancies Act

No provincial fee for operating as a long-term landlord was found in those sources either.

The Short-term Rentals Registration Act says no person shall carry on the business of a host without first registering in the manner set out in the regulations (s. 3(1)). It defines a short-term rental as providing roofed accommodations to a single party or group, for payment, for a specified duration set by regulation. Short-term Rentals Registration Act

This matters for landlords in two ways:

• A roofed accommodation that is registered under that Act is outside the Residential Tenancies Act, but only while it is being used as a short-term rental.
• A landlord cannot charge daily rents to get around the Residential Tenancies Act unless the premises are registered and are being used as a short-term rental (s. 10A(5)).

If you are renting to a tenant on a lease, you are not running a short-term rental. If you move a unit between the two uses, check which Act applies in each period before you advertise.

Halifax Regional Municipality By-law R-400 is a municipal rule. It applies only to rental housing inside the Halifax Regional Municipality, not to the rest of Nova Scotia. The by-law was recorded as effective June 12, 2023, and it says all rental housing is to be registered on or after April 1, 2024.

What the research notes record about it:

• "Rental housing" means a residential property, or part of one, occupied by someone other than the owner who pays rent to the owner, and it includes a short-term rental.
• It does not apply to property licensed under the Homes for Special Care Act, or to owner-occupied units in land-lease communities.
• Registration needs owner and operator information, proof of insurance and any fee set by Administrative Order 15.
• The owner must keep a current maintenance plan (s. 8(1)).
• It is an offence to offer to rent or operate rental housing that is not registered (s. 4(a)).
• For a first offence, the penalty runs from $150 to $10,000, and each day an offence continues is a separate offence (s. 10).
• The licensing sections of the older Halifax By-law M-200 (ss. 29 to 31) are repealed.

The research did not confirm the current state of the Halifax registry, including any changes after the by-law took effect, because the city's registry page could not be read. Check with Halifax Regional Municipality for the current form, deadline and fee before you register or rely on this summary.

The research covered the provincial law and Halifax. It did not review the by-laws of other Nova Scotia municipalities, so it cannot say whether another town has its own registry or licence. Ask your municipality's office directly.

1. Confirm which municipality the rental sits in.
2. If it is in Halifax, check By-law R-400 with the municipality and register if your unit is rental housing under the by-law.
3. If you rent short-term, register under the Short-term Rentals Registration Act before you advertise.
4. Use the standard lease. Form P is mandatory for Nova Scotia leases. See landlord forms and required wording in Nova Scotia.
5. Put the deposit in a trust account no later than the third banking day after you receive it (Regulations s. 10(a)).
6. Give the tenant a copy of the Act and the signed lease within 10 days.

Property manager licensing, non-resident landlord rules and a registration fee for long-term landlords were not covered by the research, so this guide makes no statement about them. A manager or non-resident owner should confirm with the Residential Tenancies Program and the municipality.

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