Clear Standards for Safe Rental Housing

Summary#

• This bill changes Nova Scotia’s Residential Tenancies Act to set clear, province‑wide standards for safe and clean rental housing.

• It tells the Minister to work with landlords, tenants, and municipalities to develop these standards within 12 months. It also lets the government set deadlines for how quickly landlords must fix problems.

• Key changes and impacts:

  • Creates standards covering building safety, fire safety, secure locks, access to water and power, ventilation, pest control, and mould cleanup.
  • Requires rules for cleaning common areas, cleaning before move‑in and after move‑out, and cleaning after a death in a unit.
  • Confirms landlords must follow the Building Code and Fire Safety laws.
  • Allows the government to set time limits for landlords to address problems in a rental.
  • Requires the Minister to consult landlords, tenants, municipalities, and other stakeholders while developing the standards.

What it means for you#

• Tenants

  • Clearer rules you can point to when asking for repairs or cleanliness issues to be fixed.
  • Safer homes: standards will cover structure, safe ways out in an emergency, and fire prevention and detection.
  • Basic services protected: clear expectations for working electricity and water.
  • Health protections: standards for mould cleanup, pest control, and ventilation.
  • Cleaner buildings: set expectations for clean common areas and a clean unit at move‑in and after move‑out.
  • Sensitive situations: rules for proper cleaning if a death occurs in a unit.
  • Faster fixes: once regulations are made, landlords may have set timeframes to repair issues.

• Landlords and Property Managers

  • New, detailed standards to follow for safety, utilities, cleanliness, and security (including proper door and window locks).
  • Expected to ensure compliance with Building Code and Fire Safety requirements for your rentals.
  • Clear duties for cleaning before a new tenant moves in, after a tenant leaves, and after a death in a unit.
  • May face regulated deadlines to address deficiencies once those are set by government.
  • Opportunity to provide input during the Minister’s consultation process.

• Municipalities

  • Will be consulted on the new standards.
  • May need to align local practices and coordinate with provincial building and fire safety requirements.

• Timing

  • The standards are to be developed within 12 months after this section takes effect. Day‑to‑day changes will follow once the standards and any repair deadlines are put in place.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Sets clear, province‑wide rules so all renters can expect safe, clean homes.
• Improves health and safety by addressing mould, pests, ventilation, fire safety, and secure locks.
• Protects basic living needs by ensuring access to electricity and water.
• Reduces disputes by spelling out cleaning duties for move‑in, move‑out, and after a death in a unit.
• Adding repair deadlines helps tenants get problems fixed faster.
• Confirms that landlords must comply with building and fire safety laws already on the books.

Opponents' View#

• Could increase costs for landlords (e.g., pest control, mould remediation, added cleaning), which might lead to higher rents.
• May duplicate existing building, fire, or municipal property standards, adding red tape without much benefit.
• Gives broad power to the Minister to add “any other matter,” which some may see as too open‑ended.
• Set repair deadlines might be hard to meet in older buildings or in areas with contractor or parts shortages.
• Cleaning after a death can be complex and costly, especially for small landlords.