Rights and responsibilities of renters

Renters have a right to:

• a copy of the signed lease agreement
• the fulfillment of all lease agreement terms and inclusions
• to receive a rental unit that is safe, clean and fit to live in
• a rental unit that is well-maintained and meets all housing and building standards
• common areas that are safe and clean
• requested maintenance and repairs are completed within a reasonable amount of time
• protection from the deliberate interruption of the supply of heat, water or electric power services to the premises, except in an emergency
• receive proper notice before entry by a landlord, except in an emergency
• protection from being locked out of a rental unit by a landlord
• request the review of any notices to increase rent, change or end a lease by a Residential Tenancies Officer

Renters are required to:

• pay rent on time
• follow the rules and terms of the lease
• respect the dignity and rights of other tenants and building staff
• not create a nuisance or disturbance
• repair any damage caused
• keep the rental unit reasonably clean, including any items provided by the landlord
• respect the health and safety regulations of the building 
• communicate any needs for specific accommodations and cooperate in the accommodation process
• provide proper notice when ending a lease

Discrimination in housing includes denying individuals the right to rent property, evicting them from a property and harassing or otherwise disadvantaging them in the enjoyment of property, because they belong to a group protected under the Human Rights Act.

Similarly, it is discriminatory if landlords neglect the maintenance of rental units occupied by tenants, or if they restrict a tenant’s access to facilities (laundry, parking, recreation, etc.) because the tenant belongs to a group protected under the act.

The prohibited grounds of discrimination are:

• race 
• colour 
• national origin 
• place of origin 
• ancestry 
• creed or religion 
• age 
• marital status 
• family status 
• sex (including pregnancy) 
• sexual orientation 
• gender identity or expression 
• physical disability 
• mental disability 
• social condition (includes source of income, level of education and occupation) 
• political belief or activity 

Landlords have a legal duty to accommodate the legitimate concerns and reasonable requests of tenants. Accommodating tenants with disabilities by providing accessible units and buildings is essential.

A landlord may have a “no pets policy” (which is not discriminatory in itself), but as part of the duty to accommodate reasonable accessibility and disability-related requests, the landlord must allow an exception to the rule if a disabled tenant needs to bring a service animal into their unit.

For more information about service animals, please see the Guideline on Accommodating People With Service Animals (publication) or contact the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission.

If you think you are being discriminated against or harassed based on the prohibited grounds of discrimination listed above, you can file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. You do not need to be a citizen or landed immigrant. It does not cost anything, and it is illegal for someone to penalize you because you file a complaint.

Filing a complaint