Understanding landlord harassment in New Brunswick
Harassment is not defined by one unpleasant conversation alone. The important questions are what happened, how often it happened, whether the conduct was unreasonable, and whether it interfered with your lawful use of the rental home. Examples may include repeated threatening messages, attempts to force you to move out without proper legal process, entering without required notice or consent, refusing essential repairs as pressure, or contacting you excessively after you have asked for communication to stop.
Landlords may still communicate about rent, repairs, inspections, emergencies, or lawful notices. Tenants should not obstruct legitimate property management, but those purposes do not automatically justify threats, surveillance, retaliation, or unnecessary disruption. Review the general duties of both parties in Obligations of Landlords and Tenants: Rights, Responsibilities Explained.
Examples of conduct that may support a harassment complaint
- Entering the rental unit without the notice, timing, or purpose required by New Brunswick law, except where an emergency or another legal exception applies.
- Making repeated calls, messages, or visits that are threatening, abusive, or unrelated to the tenancy after reasonable communication boundaries have been set.
- Threatening eviction, rent increases, loss of services, or other punishment because you requested repairs, asserted a legal right, or made a good-faith complaint.
- Deliberately delaying necessary repairs or interfering with heat, water, locks, or other essential services to pressure you to leave.
- Serving notices or starting proceedings for an improper purpose, such as retaliation, rather than a genuine legal reason.
Context matters. Keep copies of the lease, notices, repair requests, rent records, and prior communications so that an adjudicator can see what led to each incident. If the problem concerns repairs or unsafe conditions, the information in Common Issues Tenants Face and How to Resolve Them may help you separate a maintenance dispute from conduct that may be harassment.
How to collect evidence during the tenancy
Start a dated incident log as soon as possible. Record the date, time, location, people present, exact words or actions, how long the incident lasted, and its effect on your use of the home. Save text messages, emails, letters, voicemail files, photographs, videos, repair requests, and delivery confirmations in their original form. Do not edit screenshots in a way that removes dates or surrounding messages.
- Keep a chronological record of every alleged incident and identify witnesses who directly saw or heard it.
- Save notices, inspection messages, entry notices, emails, and letters with their envelopes or delivery details when available.
- Take photographs or videos of physical evidence, such as damaged locks, posted notices, or interrupted services, while avoiding unnecessary recording of private conversations.
- Keep rent receipts and payment confirmations to show that harassment allegations are not being confused with an unrelated rent dispute.
Be careful with recordings. Canadian privacy and evidence rules can be fact-specific, and recording a private conversation may create legal issues depending on the circumstances. Written communications are often the safest starting point. If you speak with a witness, ask them to write down what they personally observed while the memory is fresh.
Responding to harassment safely
If it is safe, send one calm written message describing the conduct and the communication you prefer. For example, you can ask the landlord to communicate by email, provide proper entry notice, and stop threats or unnecessary visits. Do not use insults or make threats in return. A respectful written response may help show that you tried to resolve the issue and can reduce later disagreement about what was requested.
- Ask for the purpose, date, and time of any proposed entry in writing.
- Keep doors and personal records secure, and do not give up your keys or move out solely because of an informal demand.
- Do not withhold rent, change locks, or ignore a formal notice without getting advice, because those actions may create a separate tenancy issue.
- Contact police or emergency services if there is an immediate danger, a physical assault, a credible threat, or unlawful entry requiring urgent assistance.
For practical guidance about raising a tenancy concern before filing, see How to Handle Complaints in Your Rental: A Tenant's Guide. You can also Find rental homes across Canada on Houseme if you need to consider housing options, but do not assume that moving is your only remedy.
New Brunswick law and the Residential Tenancies Tribunal
New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act governs many landlord and tenant rights, including possession, rent, notices, entry, and the condition of rental premises.[1] The provincial Residential Tenancies Tribunal, administered through the Department of Justice and Public Safety, handles residential tenancy applications and disputes under the Act.[2] The Tribunal may consider documents, witness evidence, notices, and the parties' explanations. It does not replace police or emergency services where there is an immediate safety risk.
Application to the Director or Tribunal application
Use the current official residential tenancy application service or form identified by New Brunswick to ask the Tribunal to address a dispute. The online service may describe this as an application to the Director or a Residential Tenancies Tribunal application, and the current page should be checked for the applicable form name, filing method, and any form number. For example, a tenant who has preserved repeated improper-entry messages and a dated incident log may use the application process to request a remedy related to interference with reasonable enjoyment.
- Describe each incident separately, including dates, times, communications, witnesses, and the remedy you are requesting.
- Attach organized evidence with readable file names and a short timeline that connects each document to an incident.
- Read every deadline and hearing instruction carefully, and keep proof that your application and evidence were submitted or served.
- Attend the hearing or follow the Tribunal's instructions if you need an accommodation, a different format, or more time to respond.
A landlord's notice is not automatically proof of harassment, and an application does not guarantee a particular result. Explain the facts neutrally and ask for remedies that fit the legal problem. If you receive a notice to end the tenancy, treat it as a separate urgent issue and obtain advice promptly rather than ignoring it.
FAQ
- What counts as landlord harassment in New Brunswick?
- Conduct may support a harassment complaint when it is unreasonable, repeated, threatening, retaliatory, or substantially interferes with your lawful use and enjoyment of the rental home. The facts and pattern matter.
- Can my landlord enter my rental whenever they want?
- No. Entry generally must comply with the Residential Tenancies Act, including applicable notice and timing rules, unless an emergency or another legal exception applies.
- Should I stop paying rent if the landlord is harassing me?
- Usually not without specific legal advice or an order. Stopping rent can create arrears and may give the landlord a separate basis for action.
- Where can I file a landlord harassment complaint in New Brunswick?
- You can review the Residential Tenancies Tribunal application process and determine whether your dispute falls within its authority. Immediate threats or violence should be reported to police or emergency services.
- What evidence is most useful?
- A dated incident log, written communications, entry notices, photographs, videos, repair records, payment records, and direct witness evidence can help establish what happened and when.
How-To
- Create a dated incident log and preserve every relevant message, notice, photograph, recording, and receipt.
- Send a calm written request for appropriate communication, lawful entry, and an end to unreasonable conduct when doing so is safe.
- Review the Residential Tenancies Act and the New Brunswick Residential Tenancies Tribunal application instructions.
- Prepare a clear timeline, select the evidence supporting each incident, and submit the applicable application or response before the stated deadline.
- Seek urgent police, emergency, community, or legal assistance if you face immediate danger, threats, or unlawful entry.
Help and Support / Resources
- New Brunswick Residential Tenancies Tribunal and landlord-tenant information
- New Brunswick residential tenancy forms and application instructions
- New Brunswick Residential Tenancies Act
