New Brunswick residential tenancy
Ending a New Brunswick residential lease
Notice of Termination, tenant notice, owner-occupancy reasons and the difference from eviction.
Termination is not eviction
A written Notice of Termination is used when an ordinary tenancy ends according to its term and relevant law. Landlords must rely on recognized reasons, such as personal or qualifying family occupancy, change of residential use, end of a linked maintenance job, or substantial renovation. For substantial renovations requiring vacant possession, the province requires a landlord to apply to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office for approval before serving a termination notice. The office considers permits, good faith, the necessity of vacancy and whether termination is the only reasonable way to achieve the necessary work.
A fixed-term lease ending may follow distinct rules; do not assume every tenancy needs identical notice dates. A notice does not grant self-help eviction powers.
Landlord reasons and challenges
The tenant may have statutory opportunities to challenge a termination. New Brunswick describes a 15-day application period for certain landlord notices; the correct deadline depends on the actual notice and facts.
Where a landlord does not use the rental in the manner stated within two months after termination, a former tenant may have a separate compensation remedy.
Tenant options
Use the current Notice of Termination to Landlord and check the proper notice period for your lease. Serious health or domestic-violence circumstances may use different procedures.
Related New Brunswick resources
Before issuing or relying on termination
Identify whether the lease is fixed-term, year-to-year, month-to-month or week-to-week, because a termination notice can operate differently under each arrangement. Do not use an informal text message as a substitute where an official written notice is required.
For an owner-occupancy termination, keep the stated intended occupant and reason from the notice. A former tenant may have a remedy if the landlord does not use the premises for the promised purpose within the specified statutory period.
If the tenant objects to the stated reason, check the relevant challenge deadline immediately; it may be much shorter than an ordinary civil limitation period.
Ordinary lease term notice examples
New Brunswick distinguishes fixed-term leases, which generally end on the agreed date, from periodic leases. Government examples describe a full week of written notice for week-to-week tenancies, a full rental month for month-to-month tenancies and three months before the end of the lease year for ordinary year-to-year arrangements.
Long-term tenancies occupied by the same tenant for at least five years can follow additional rules: a landlord generally must give three months’ written notice, while a tenant generally needs one full rental month. Check the current rule for your facts before serving a notice.
A landlord seeking to end a lease for substantial renovations must first apply to the provincial office for approval; the landlord does not automatically qualify merely by announcing renovation plans.