What to send before an Alberta rental dispute hearing

What documents to send

• A copy of the application you filed and the evidence you included.
• The government-issued Notice of Hearing or Notice of Telephone Hearing.
• Any other papers RTDRS says must accompany the filed application.

When to send it

Usually, you must send the application and papers to the other person at least three clear days before the hearing. Do not count the day you send the papers, the hearing day, weekends or public holidays. Special orders or different delivery methods can change the deadline.

Both sides may need to give RTDRS and the other person any additional evidence as soon as possible, usually at least 24 hours before the hearing. Follow the directions for your case.

Check how service actually happens

Do not assume that sending papers is always the same as legally serving them. Under the RTDRS instructions, registered-mail service is completed when the recipient signs for it, not when you post the letter. Email service has conditions: the parties must have communicated or agreed to communicate by email before, and you must be able to show the documents were delivered. Different rules apply if a tenant has already moved out; simply posting the package at the old rental address is not proper service. Check the correct method for your role and keep proof.

Serving the first application is different from later evidence

The applicant's original filed package includes the application, Notice of Telephone Hearing and evidence. Alberta generally requires the complete package to reach each named respondent by a permitted method at least three clear days before the hearing. The service day, hearing day, weekends and holidays are excluded when counting. Additional evidence is a different step: the parties generally must supply it to RTDRS and the other side at least 24 hours before the hearing, and should allow at least one full business day for RTDRS to process documents.

Check any individual order or directions that changes timing. Late or improperly served evidence may be excluded or lead to an adjournment.

Examples of permitted service and useful proof

• Email: Alberta permits it only with qualifying prior email contact or agreement and evidence of delivery, such as a reply or other reliable confirmation. A sent-message screenshot alone may not establish delivery.
• Personal delivery: document the recipient, place, date and time. A tenant serving a landlord and a landlord serving a tenant have different available alternatives.
• Registered mail: keep the tracking number, postal receipt and signed delivery confirmation. Posting the letter does not by itself complete service.
• Service problems: if a former tenant has moved out or service is avoided, check the current RTDRS service options and whether an order for another method is needed; do not assume an old rental address is valid.

Use the appropriate official Declaration of Service by Tenant or by Landlord and the government document-service tip sheet.

Evidence checklist for a money claim

For rent arrears, include a dated ledger showing amounts due, paid and outstanding. For physical damage, pair signed condition inspections with photographs and invoices, and account for age and wear. For a deposit return, include the lease, proof of deposit payment, inspection reports and refund correspondence. Name files by date and subject so the officer and the other party can follow your explanation.

Example: Instead of uploading an unlabeled folder of 35 photographs, create an index such as “1 — move-in kitchen, June 2,” “2 — move-out kitchen, September 30,” and “3 — repair invoice, October 5.” Keep the original files and a copy of everything uploaded or delivered; submitted portal evidence may not be viewable afterward.

Get your evidence ready

1. Label each item, date it and explain briefly what it demonstrates.
2. Use a record of rent payments if money is owing, or receipts and invoices if you are claiming other costs.
3. Keep a record of how and where you sent the papers, the date, and who received them.
4. Use the required government forms to record delivery and list your evidence. Check extra rules for large files and recordings.