Alberta rental dispute hearings and decisions

Before the hearing

1. Confirm the telephone hearing details, equipment, attendance and any accommodation need.
2. Prepare an indexed packet and send evidence according to service requirements.
3. Write a short, chronological explanation of the remedy requested and how amounts were calculated.
4. Keep documentary proof of service and a copy of every filed document.

What happens in a telephone hearing?

Use the date, connection instructions and case number on your Notice of Telephone Hearing. Have the original documents and your evidence list available. Explain the timeline first, then identify the legal remedy and the evidence supporting each amount. The officer may ask questions, hear from both sides and decide whether service was adequate. If neither a party nor a representative attends, the matter may proceed without them or their claim may be dismissed.

If documents were not served correctly or a party cannot attend, contact RTDRS as soon as possible about an adjournment. Agreement between the parties does not automatically change the hearing date; the officer and RTDRS process control rescheduling.

After receiving a written order: practical checklist

1. Identify whether the order awards money, possession, a conditional payment schedule or a consent resolution. Note every stated deadline.
2. RTDRS orders generally need to be filed at the Court of King's Bench for court enforcement. Confirm whether RTDRS already filed it or whether the applicant must file it.
3. Once filed, the applicant must serve the respondent with a filed copy. Save the service record.
4. If a monetary judgment remains unpaid, review the Court's civil enforcement steps. If a possession order is not obeyed, use the authorized civil enforcement process, not self-help lock changes or removal.
5. For a conditional order, review the payment dates and the official Notice of Default process before taking a further enforcement step.

Read Alberta's RTDRS orders and enforcement instructions and the linked After the Order chart for the particular order.

Example: correction, fairness request or appeal?

If an order misprints a party's name or arithmetic total, the RTDRS Request Form may be appropriate to ask for a clerical amendment or clarification. A limited request to set aside or vary an order concerns procedural fairness, such as lack of notice; it is not a routine second hearing because someone dislikes the result. An alleged error of law or jurisdiction may support a Court of King's Bench appeal, generally within 30 days from the date the order was filed. Requesting a correction or reconsideration does not itself replace or extend the appeal process. Get the official filing instructions promptly if time is short.

What decisions may look like

• Order for Judgment can address deposits, unpaid rent, eligible losses, damages or rent reduction.
• Termination or possession orders may affect continued occupation.
• Consent orders may record a settlement; noncompliance can lead to separate enforcement steps.

After an order

Read all instructions provided with the order. Court registration, serving a copy of an order, enforcement fees or sheriffs may be relevant. The RTDRS process does not promise collection or permit self-help eviction.

Requesting a correction versus appealing

A clerical correction, clarification or limited procedural-fairness request to RTDRS is not the same as an appeal. If a party alleges an error of law or jurisdiction, Alberta describes an appeal to the Court of King’s Bench within 30 days after the RTDRS order is filed. Deadlines and steps depend on the actual order and current rules; obtain the official instructions promptly rather than assuming a request to RTDRS stops the appeal clock.