Released on February 21, 2007
The new Residential Tenancies Act and Regulations come into force March 1, 2007, to help meet the changing needs of residential landlords and tenants in Saskatchewan.
“This legislation strikes an important balance between the needs of tenants for safe, secure and affordable living accommodations, and the legitimate need for landlords to earn reasonable profits from their rental properties,” Justice Minister Frank Quennell said. “The purpose of this new legislation is to help maintain a viable and profitable residential housing industry in Saskatchewan that benefits both tenants and landlords.”
The new Act extends protection to tenants living in rural areas. The previous legislation was restricted to the rental of residential premises in a city, town, village or hamlet.
This Act contains specific rules regarding a landlord’s right to enter the rental unit, in order to reduce the many disputes that occurred under the previous legislation. The Act also sets out criteria about how and why a landlord can terminate a tenancy agreement.
The new Act provides a six month notice period for rental increases for mobile homes, compared to the standard three month notice period for other rental accommodation. This provision recognizes that mobile homes are very expensive and difficult to move, and mobile home owners faced with a significant increase in rent may require additional time to make alternative arrangements.
The new Act provides clarity, certainty and predictability to the tenant/landlord relationship. A list of standard terms that apply to every tenancy agreement is included in this legislation to provide landlords and tenants with easy reference to their basic rights and duties.
The new Act replaces one passed in 1973 and reflects changes in the rental market place since then. The experiences of Saskatchewan’s Rentalsman in dealing with residential tenancies disputes were also taken into account when identifying issues that needed to be addressed in the new legislation.
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For more information, contact:
Linsay Rabyj
Justice
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0775