Landlord Registration in Saskatchewan

The research checked The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, its regulations, the Office of Residential Tenancies page and the government pages on ending a tenancy, settling disputes and requesting repairs. It found no province-wide registry or licence for landlords of long-term residential rentals. So an owner renting out a house, suite or apartment does not apply to the province for a landlord number or a licence before signing a lease.

"None found" is not the same as "none exists". Treat this guide as the state of the published rules, and check with the ORT and your city if your situation is unusual. There is one filing duty in the Act that works like a registration for one group of landlords, covered next.

The Act defines a non-resident landlord as one who does not live in Saskatchewan, or does not have an office in Saskatchewan where the landlord can be served under the Act. Before carrying on business, every such landlord must file a duly executed power of attorney, in the prescribed form, with the director of the ORT. It appoints a person as the landlord's attorney in Saskatchewan, for the purpose of receiving service of notices and applications under the Act. That duty was added in 2021.

1. Decide whether you count as non-resident: you neither live in Saskatchewan nor have an office in the province where you can be served.
2. Choose a person in Saskatchewan to act as your attorney for receiving notices and applications.
3. Complete the power of attorney in the prescribed form and file it with the ORT director before you carry on business as a landlord.
4. Keep a copy with your tenancy records.

The research did not find the form number, a filing fee or a processing time. Ask the ORT for the current form and any cost. The reason for the rule is practical: a tenant or the ORT needs somewhere in the province to deliver papers to you.

Without a registry, the Act puts its requirements into the tenancy itself:

• Contact details in the lease. A written agreement must include, among other items, your address for service and phone number, and an emergency phone number. For an oral agreement, you must still give the tenant that information in writing within 20 days.
• A copy of the signed lease. Give the tenant a copy within 20 days. If you do not, the tenant's duty to pay rent is suspended until you do.
• Posting in multi-unit buildings. If the building has more than one rental unit and common areas that you keep, post your legal name, address for service and phone number in a conspicuous place.
• No application fees. A landlord may not charge for accepting, processing or investigating a tenancy application.
• Deposit limits. One deposit only, taken when the agreement is made, and no more than one month's rent.

The landlord guide to Saskatchewan security deposits and the guide to becoming a landlord in Saskatchewan cover these in more detail.

Municipal rules apply only inside that city, and the research did not review every Saskatchewan municipality. Here is what it found:

• Regina: the city's housing page showed no licensing or registration requirement for long-term rentals.
• Regina has a separate "Residential Short-Term Stay Licences" page. The research did not read it, so its fees and rules are unconfirmed. If you rent by the night, contact the City of Regina.
• Saskatoon: not checked. Contact the City of Saskatoon.

The provincial Act already leaves some short stays out. It does not apply to living accommodation in a hotel, motel, resort, lodge, cottage, cabin, trailer, tourist home, bed and breakfast, farm vacation home or hostel if a person lives there for less than six consecutive months. If you run that kind of stay, your obligations come from your city and other laws, not from the ORT process in this guide.

Registration questions often hide a coverage question. The Act lists what it does not apply to, including housing rented with business premises under one agreement, crisis shelters, hospitals and care homes, farm housing rented to the person farming the land, housing provided by the YMCA, YWCA or The Salvation Army, and leases for life or for a fixed period of 20 years or more. By regulation, it also does not apply to housing owned or operated by an educational institution for its students or employees.

The Act lists no exclusion for renting a room in your own home or sharing a kitchen or bathroom with the owner. Do not assume you are exempt. Ask the ORT.

The research did not look into licensing for property managers or agents, so confirm that with the ORT and your municipality if you hire one. See also how to become a landlord and how to rent out your house. This guide explains the rules in general terms; for a specific case, ask the tribunal or a licensed legal professional.