Security Deposits in New Brunswick

Under New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act, a landlord cannot charge more than one month's rent as a security deposit. If your rent is $1,400 a month, the maximum deposit is $1,400.

A deposit can only be collected once a tenancy agreement is in place, and the landlord must give the tenant a receipt.

New Brunswick landlords are required to remit collected security deposits to the Tenancy and Landlord Relations Office (TLRO), which holds them in trust for the duration of the tenancy rather than the landlord holding the funds directly. This is a meaningful difference from provinces where the landlord keeps the deposit in their own trust account.

When a tenancy ends, the landlord has 7 days to return the deposit or apply to the TLRO to keep some or all of it for unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear. If the landlord does neither, the tenant can apply to the TLRO to have the deposit released.

A written move-in and move-out condition report is the strongest evidence either side can bring if a deposit dispute arises.

Either party can apply to the TLRO for a hearing. Because the deposit is already held in trust by the TLRO rather than the landlord, a hearing officer's decision determines how the trust-held funds are released, rather than ordering a landlord to hand over money they've been holding directly.