New Brunswick renting guide

Landlord harassment and your peace at home in New Brunswick

You have the right to peaceful enjoyment of your home. A landlord cannot let themselves in whenever they want, lock you out, cut off your services, or seize your things, and there are remedies if they do.

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What counts as landlord harassment in New Brunswick, and what can I do?

For tenants

Your landlord can only enter for specific reasons and with the right notice, usually 24 hours for inspections and showings and seven days for repairs, never just whenever they like. They cannot lock you out, cut off your heat, water, or power, or seize your belongings for unpaid rent, those are all illegal. Neither you nor your landlord can change the locks without the other agreeing or an officer's written permission. If a landlord is harassing you or breaking these rules, serve a written Notice of Complaint giving about seven days, then file an Application for Assistance with the Office. An officer can order them to stop, and in some cases award you up to a month's rent in compensation.

For landlords

Respect the entry rules and your tenant's privacy. Do not enter without proper notice, change the locks, cut off services, or remove a tenant's belongings, each of those is an offence and can cost you compensation. To end a tenancy you must use the proper process, never a lockout. If a tenant is the problem, use the complaint process rather than self-help.

The key facts

Entry: Only with proper notice, not anytime
Lockouts: Illegal
Changing locks: Needs both sides' consent or an officer's okay
Seizing belongings for rent: Not allowed
Remedy: Complaint to the Office (compensation possible)

Common questions

My landlord keeps letting himself in without notice. Is that allowed?

No. A landlord can only enter for specific reasons with proper notice, usually 24 hours for an inspection or showing and seven days for repairs, except in a real emergency. Repeated or unannounced entry is a breach. Put a Notice of Complaint in writing, then file with the Office, which can order it to stop.

Can I change the locks so my landlord cannot come in?

Not on your own. In New Brunswick neither the tenant nor the landlord can change or add a lock on an entry door without the other agreeing, or written permission from a residential tenancies officer. A landlord also cannot lock you out, that is illegal.