Nova Scotia Landlord Health & Safety Standards Explained

Keeping your rental home healthy and safe is not just a good idea—it’s the law in Nova Scotia. Landlords are legally required to provide and maintain safe, healthy living environments for their tenants. Understanding exactly what landlords must do, and what steps you can take if standards aren’t met, helps ensure your home is secure and comfortable.

Who Sets Health & Safety Standards for Rentals in Nova Scotia?

Health and safety requirements for rental properties are set out in the Residential Tenancies Act^[1] and by local building and public health by-laws. The official tribunal overseeing tenant and landlord issues in the province is Nova Scotia's Residential Tenancies Program.

What Landlords Must Do: Key Health & Safety Obligations

By law, Nova Scotia landlords must keep your unit and common areas in a condition that is:

• Fit for habitation – safe, clean, and sanitary
• In line with health, safety, and housing codes
• Free of pest infestations and mold
• Properly supplied with heat, water, electricity, and hot water
• Maintained so doors, windows, and locks work properly

Landlords can’t charge you for doing standard repairs or maintenance necessary to keep the property livable—these are their legal responsibilities.

Examples of Required Maintenance

• Fixing broken smoke or carbon monoxide alarms
• Repairing leaks, plumbing, and heating issues
• Removing serious mold or pest infestations
• Ensuring stairs, decks, and handrails are safe

For more practical tips, read Health and Safety Issues Every Tenant Should Know When Renting.

If Standards Aren’t Met: Protecting Yourself as a Tenant

If your landlord fails to maintain safe and healthy conditions, you have the right to request repairs and, if needed, take further steps.

• Document unsafe or unhealthy conditions (photos, records of communication)
• Notify your landlord promptly in writing with specific details
• Allow reasonable time for repairs unless it’s an emergency

Issues with unresolved repairs, unsafe living conditions, or severe problems like serious leaks or infestations can be addressed through the Residential Tenancies Program.

If your landlord doesn’t act quickly on a major repair or safety issue, you may escalate your complaint by applying to the Residential Tenancies Program.

How to File a Health & Safety Complaint

When informal steps don’t resolve the issue, tenants can apply using Form J – Application to Director (download Form J). This form lets you request an official order for repairs or even a rent reduction.

• When to use: If serious health or safety repairs are ignored or your unit is unfit for living
• How to use: Fill in details of the problem, attach evidence (photos, communications) and submit to Service Nova Scotia with the required fee

Relevant Legislation and Your Rights

All rights and obligations are detailed in the Residential Tenancies Act, which protects tenants across Nova Scotia.

To see a breakdown of landlord and tenant rights in your province, check out Tenant Rights and Landlord Rights in Nova Scotia.

Routine vs. Urgent Repairs

Health and safety repairs are often urgent. Don’t wait to report mold, lack of heat, severe leaks, or broken security features. For routine concerns, such as a loose door handle or minor drafts, landlords must still act promptly but the timeline may be more flexible. More advice is available in Routine Repairs in Rental Units: Tenant and Landlord Responsibilities.

What Happens If Landlords Ignore Health & Safety Laws?

If a landlord does not meet their legal obligations for health and safety:

• The Residential Tenancies Program may order them to complete repairs
• Penalties or compensation may be ordered for tenants
• The municipality may issue fines and order urgent work (in severe cases)

Tenants are generally protected from eviction in retaliation for asserting their right to a safe and healthy home.

FAQs: Nova Scotia Rental Health & Safety

1. What basic conditions must my landlord ensure in Nova Scotia? All landlords must provide a unit that is clean, safe, and fit for habitation, in line with provincial and municipal health and safety codes.
2. Can I withhold rent if my landlord refuses repairs? No, you are not legally allowed to withhold rent. Instead, apply to the Residential Tenancies Program for help compelling repairs.
3. What official form should I use to request an order for repairs? Use Form J – Application to Director from the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Program to formally ask for an order requiring the landlord to complete repairs.
4. Are pest problems the landlord's responsibility? Yes, if the issue is not caused by the tenant, landlords must resolve pest infestations in a timely manner.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Landlords must keep your home safe, livable, and up to code under the Residential Tenancies Act.
• Use Form J to formally request repairs or other remedies through the Residential Tenancies Program if health and safety concerns are ignored.
• Explore Tenant Rights and Landlord Rights in Nova Scotia for a full list of rights and local agency contacts.

Need Help? Resources for Tenants

• Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Program – Apply for repairs, resolve disputes, and access forms (phone: 1-800-670-4357)
• Residential Tenancies Act (full legislation text)
• Municipal bylaw enforcement (contact your local city or town hall for urgent defects or unsafe conditions)
• Legal support: Nova Scotia Legal Aid

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1. Nova Scotia. Residential Tenancies Act. View the Act
2. Nova Scotia Service – Residential Tenancies Program. Official Website
3. Nova Scotia Tenancy Forms. Download Forms

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