New Brunswick’s rental-law review has heard from tenants, landlords and other housing stakeholders about problems in the province’s rental system. The September 16, 2026 announcement identifies affordability, repairs, tenancy terminations, dispute-resolution timelines and enforcement as leading concerns.
The What We Heard survey report records 2,852 total responses, including 1,675 completed responses. These findings reflect people who chose to participate; they are not a representative measure of every renter’s experience or an independent audit of enforcement. They nevertheless provide a clear reason to examine how the system works in practice.
New Brunswick already has tenant rights and landlord obligations. The next phase should strengthen those protections and make them easier to use. A right offers little reassurance to someone who cannot navigate the process or obtain a timely remedy.
The “what we heard” report identifies a system under pressure
Participants raised concerns about housing costs, unresolved repairs and difficulty obtaining timely decisions. Those concerns are connected.
A tenant struggling to cover rent may hesitate to complain about a leaking roof. Someone waiting for repairs may also be worried about keeping their home. When a dispute drags on, the time, stress and expense of pursuing it can become another barrier to asserting a right.
That is why the province should resist treating each complaint as a separate technical issue. The real question is whether New Brunswick’s rental system gives people enough stability to live safely, plan ahead and speak up when something goes wrong.
Affordability requires more than a rent cap
New Brunswick has maintained its three-per-cent rent cap for 2027. The cap is subject to annual review, with the next review scheduled for May 2027. Predictable increases help households plan, but a cap alone cannot make an already unaffordable home affordable.
The province’s rent-increase guidance explains that landlords must obtain permission for above-cap increases, up to nine per cent, based on justified renovation capital expenditures and supporting evidence. Tenants can request a review of a rent-increase notice within 60 days of receiving it, without an application fee. The guidance also describes protection against retaliatory rent increases.
The review should examine whether these processes are accessible, timely and transparent. Tenants should be able to understand the evidence supporting an exception and how to challenge a disputed notice. Clear guidance in French and English, accessible formats and practical help with applications should be part of making those protections work.
Repairs are a health and safety issue, not a customer-service dispute
The consultation’s emphasis on repairs and maintenance deserves particular attention. A rental unit is not just a private business arrangement. It is a person’s home. Persistent mould, unsafe stairs, broken heating, water damage, pests or inaccessible entrances can affect physical health, mental health, safety and the ability to remain housed.
Existing provincial guidance recognizes tenants’ rights to safe, well-maintained homes and repairs within a reasonable time. The review should build on those obligations with clearer expectations for urgent and routine repairs, reliable follow-up and an understandable route to enforcement. Tenants should know how to document a problem, when to expect action and what to do when it remains unresolved.
That system should also recognize accessibility. A broken elevator, inaccessible entrance or failed bathroom adaptation can be more than an inconvenience for a disabled tenant. It can make a unit functionally unusable. The law should distinguish between routine maintenance and barriers that prevent a person from safely accessing their home.
Faster dispute resolution is essential
Respondents identified slow dispute resolution as a concern. Delay can change the balance of power and make an otherwise available remedy difficult to pursue.
A landlord with greater financial or administrative resources may be better able to absorb a lengthy dispute. A tenant facing an unresolved repair or termination notice may be paying for temporary accommodation, missing work or considering a move with few alternatives. The process should recognize those differences without assuming every landlord has the same resources.
New Brunswick should publish clear service standards for the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office and the dispute-resolution process. People should know when to expect a response or decision and how compliance with an order is pursued. Online applications should be supported by effective telephone and in-person assistance, especially where disability, language, literacy or internet access creates barriers.
Enforcement is what turns legal promises into real protections
Enforcement is central to whether a right works in practice. Consultation participants described inconsistent processes and frustrating follow-up. Those accounts deserve investigation and a measurable response; they should not be presented as a verified count of violations or enforcement failures.
Enforcement should include proactive education for landlords and tenants, transparent data about complaints and decisions, and meaningful consequences for repeated non-compliance. The province should publish regular reporting on repair complaints, unlawful rent increases, termination disputes, average resolution times and compliance with orders. Residents should not have to rely on anecdotes to know whether the system is working.
Clear rules and timely decisions also benefit responsible landlords. Landlord respondents raised operating costs and delays as concerns. A predictable system should help both parties understand their obligations and provide meaningful consequences when those obligations are repeatedly ignored.
Security of tenure must be part of the affordability conversation
Housing affordability is also about whether a person can remain in their home. A forced move can bring moving costs, school disruption, longer commutes and the loss of community supports. The review should assess how termination rules and their enforcement affect that stability.
New Brunswick already sets out reasons for landlord termination notices, and termination for renovations requires prior approval from the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office. Its guidance says the work must require the unit to be vacant and termination must be the only reasonable way to obtain that vacancy. The review should examine how rigorously these safeguards are applied and whether tenants can effectively challenge improper terminations. It should also consider practical support for people displaced through no fault of their own.
Special attention is needed for seniors, disabled people, families with children and people leaving homelessness. For these households, a forced move can be far more damaging than a financial inconvenience. It can mean losing access to a support worker, a school route, a medical provider or an accessible unit that cannot easily be replaced.
The province should publish a tenant-rights implementation plan
The government has said it will conduct more targeted engagement with housing experts, tenant groups, landlords and other stakeholders. That work should lead to a public implementation plan with deadlines, draft legislative language and measurable outcomes.
New Brunswickers should be able to see which recommendations are being accepted, which are being rejected and why. They should know when the legislation will be introduced, when regulations will be drafted and when new enforcement standards will take effect.
The province should also commit to reviewing the results after implementation. Are disputes being resolved faster? Are repair complaints falling? Are tenants better able to challenge unlawful increases? Are vulnerable households experiencing fewer forced moves? Without those measures, a “modernized” law could simply become a new document sitting on a shelf.
A law with roots in 1975 can be modernized without losing sight of its basic purpose: a fair, workable relationship between landlords and tenants, and a safe place to live. Success should be measured by whether people can obtain repairs, resolve disputes and keep stable housing—not simply by whether a new Act passes.
Optional tools for keeping rental records
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The Amazon links below are paid affiliate links.
Keeping dated notes, copies of repair requests and photographs can help you explain a housing problem clearly. A notebook or folder you already own may be enough. If you need supplies, these are two practical options:
- Expanding document organizer (Amazon affiliate link): a place to keep your lease, rent notices, receipts and printed repair correspondence together.
- Indoor temperature and humidity monitor (Amazon affiliate link): a way to record indoor temperature and relative humidity alongside dated notes about heating or dampness concerns. It is not a mould test or a substitute for a professional inspection.
These tools are optional. Buying equipment does not replace a landlord’s repair obligations or the need for an accessible enforcement process.
Sources and further reading
- Government of New Brunswick — Government releases ‘what we heard’ document as it works to update Residential Tenancies Act — September 16, 2026
- Government of New Brunswick — The Residential Tenancies Act Review: What We Heard — survey report (PDF)
- Government of New Brunswick — Three per cent rent cap maintained in response to ongoing affordability challenges — June 24, 2026
- Government of New Brunswick — Rent increases — cap, above-guideline applications and tenant reviews
- Government of New Brunswick — Rights and responsibilities of renters
- Government of New Brunswick — Lease information — ending a lease and approval for renovation terminations
Leave a Reply