Who Pays for Utilities in a Nova Scotia Rental?

The Residential Tenancies Act does not assign responsibility for heat, electricity, or water to either the landlord or the tenant by default. Whoever's name is on the lease as responsible for a given utility is who pays it -- always check your tenancy agreement rather than assuming.

In many older apartment buildings and multi-unit properties in Halifax and Dartmouth, heat and water are bundled into rent and paid by the landlord, while tenants pay their own electricity. In single-family home and duplex rentals, tenants more often pay all utilities directly.

In the Halifax area, electricity is supplied by Nova Scotia Power, natural gas (where available) by Heritage Gas, and municipal water by Halifax Water. If a utility is in your name, you'll set up and pay that account directly with the relevant utility.

A landlord cannot cut off or interfere with a utility that's their responsibility under the lease as a way to pressure a tenant to move out or pay disputed rent -- this can be treated as an illegal interference with the tenancy, and a tenant can apply to the Residential Tenancies Program for an order.