New Brunswick residential tenancy
Challenge a New Brunswick rent increase
You usually have 60 days to ask for a rent-increase review. That is different from reporting a punishment for complaining or giving notice that you will move out.
When to seek review
If you disagree with the amount, timing or contents of a landlord rent-increase notice, submit a Tenant Application for Assistance and attach a copy of the notice. The province states the usual rent-increase review deadline is 60 days after receipt.
If the increase followed your complaint against a landlord, the Act provides a distinct protection with a potential 15-day notification requirement. Do not replace one deadline with the other.
What to prepare
Keep the complete notice, proof of date and manner of receipt, your lease, previous increases, rent ledger and any correspondence. The province states that there is no fee to request a rent-increase review using the Tenant Application for Assistance. A tenant considering ending the tenancy instead must use the correct written termination notice: provincial guidance requires at least one month before the new rent starts for fixed-term, year-to-year or month-to-month leases, and one week for week-to-week leases. This is not the 60-day review deadline.
Use the date planner
Open the rent-increase review date planner for a basic 60-day calendar illustration. Check service and special circumstances with the office.
Related New Brunswick resources
Prepare a focused rent-review package
Write the current rent, the new rent, the proposed effective date and the percentage difference in a short table. Compare the proposed change with the ordinary 3% limit, without guessing whether any exceptional approval exists.
Keep all past rent-increase notices, the signed lease and the date that the tenancy began. An increase within the first 12 months raises a different timing question than an otherwise eligible annual increase.
Keep proof of submitting your Tenant Application for Assistance before the 60-day window closes. If you also allege retaliation, tell the office immediately because an independent 15-day requirement may matter.