Some provinces, like Ontario, have a legal framework for tenants to do a rent strike – where tenants refuse to pay rent to the landlord until demands or conditions are met. In these instances, tenants apply to pay their rent to the tenancy board instead of the landlord, and the tenancy board holds on to the rent until the landlord completes repairs or complies with the law.

Nova Scotia does not have this framework. You cannot pay your rent in trust to Residential Tenancies. Even if you have a problem with your landlord, by law you must pay rent to them while are living in your rental unit.

Note: The RTA has a section that states tenants can apply to pay their rent in trust to the Tenancy Board. No tenant has ever successfully applied to do this.