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Types of Rental Housing in NS

Basics of the Law

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Am I Covered? The Landlord-Tenant Relationship

The landlord-tenant relationship is created anytime money is paid (or the promise of money) in exchange for living somewhere. You do not need a lease to be covered by the RTA.

There are very specific exceptions to this. The list below shows what kind of residences are covered and which are not:

YES:

  • Apartments

  • Houses

  • Flats

  • Rooming Houses

  • Manufactured/mobile homes

  • Public housing/Metro housing *

  • Non-profit housing

  • Housing Co-operatives ***

NO:

  • University residences

  • Shelters

  • Hospitals

  • Nursing homes/care facilities

  • Jails

  • Hotels/Motels **

* Watch out! While public housing tenants are covered by the RTA, special rules may apply (please see Public Housing for more information).

** Watch out! A landlord may try to pass a rooming house or a short-term rental off as a hotel. A unit is only considered a hotel if you pay for the room by the night and the unit is licensed as a hotel by law. Typically, stays longer than 28 days that are not paid-for by the night are covered under the RTA.

*** For co-operative housing, the Cooperative Associations Act may also apply.

  • Agreement to pay for expenses in exchange for being allowed to stay in a residential unit constitutes rent and supports there is a landlord-tenant relationship. (Johnstone v. Helpard, 2016 NSSM 66)