Repairs and Maintenance: A Renter's Rights in Canada

A landlord's duty to keep a rental unit in a good state of repair is one of the strongest protections a tenant has anywhere in Canada. It exists in every province and territory, and in Quebec it comes from the Civil Code rather than a residential tenancies act. This guide explains what a landlord must fix, how to document a repair request, and what a tenant can do under provincial and territorial law when a landlord will not act.

The process for enforcing that duty differs by province, since each jurisdiction has its own tenancy tribunal, forms and remedies. This overview sets out the common ground first, then points to the tribunal and process that applies where you live. For a broader look at tenant protections generally, see Canada tenant rights.

Information last verified on 19 July 2026. This guide is general legal information, not legal advice.

Jurisdiction scope: This guide covers the general landlord repair and maintenance duty that applies under every Canadian province's and territory's residential tenancies legislation, and under the Civil Code of Quebec in Quebec. Provincial and territorial tenancy tribunals apply these rules to individual disputes, and outcomes depend on the specific facts and the legislation in force. It does not cover commercial tenancies, condominium bylaws, or US landlord-tenant law.

What must my landlord repair and maintain?

Every Canadian province and territory imposes essentially the same core duty on a landlord: keep the rental unit and the residential complex in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and compliant with the health, safety and housing standards that apply in that jurisdiction. In Ontario, section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 requires a landlord to provide and maintain a rental unit in a good state of repair and fit for habitation and to comply with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards, and this duty applies even if the tenant knew about the problem before signing the lease. British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act, section 32, requires a landlord to provide and maintain a rental unit that complies with health, safety and housing standards required by law and is suitable for occupation given its age, character and location. Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, section 16, makes it a term of every tenancy that the landlord will keep the premises at or above the minimum housing standards set under the Public Health Act and the Housing Regulation, and this obligation cannot be contracted out of. Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut all impose a comparable statutory duty under their own residential tenancies legislation.

In Quebec, the same idea comes from the Civil Code of Quebec rather than a tenancies act. Article 1910 requires the lessor to maintain the dwelling in good, habitable condition throughout the lease, and article 1854 requires the lessor to deliver the property in a good state of repair at the start of the lease. Article 1864 requires the lessor to make all necessary repairs, apart from those the lessee is responsible for.

What is the tenant responsible for?

A tenant is generally expected to keep the unit reasonably clean and sanitary and to repair or pay for damage that the tenant, a household member or a guest causes, beyond normal wear and tear. British Columbia's government guidance on repairs and maintenance states that a tenant must maintain reasonable health, cleanliness and sanitary standards, is not required to repair reasonable wear and tear, and remains financially responsible for damage the tenant, a guest or a pet causes. The same basic split between ordinary use and tenant-caused damage applies across the other provinces and territories, though exactly what counts as wear and tear in a given case is often decided by the tribunal on the specific facts.

Put every repair request in writing

Start by telling the landlord about the problem in writing, whether by letter, email or a maintenance request form, and keep a copy along with the date it was sent. Tribunals Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board brochure on maintenance and repairs recommends exactly this step before a tenant files a Tenant Application about Maintenance, Form T6, since the tenant has to be able to show the landlord knew about the problem and had a reasonable chance to fix it. British Columbia's government guidance takes the same approach, advising a tenant to describe the problem in writing and give the landlord a reasonable amount of time to respond before escalating the matter. Add photos or video, dated where possible, and keep a short log of when the problem started, when it was reported and any response from the landlord. This is the record a tribunal will ask to see if the dispute reaches a hearing.

Emergency repairs and heat or vital services

An emergency repair is one that affects health or safety or the ability to use the property, such as a total loss of heat, a major leak, a broken exterior lock, or no running water. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, section 21, separately requires a landlord to supply, and never deliberately interfere with, the vital services the landlord is obligated to provide under the tenancy agreement, defined as hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, gas or heat, at any time before an eviction order is enforced, even where the tenant owes rent. British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act sets out a specific emergency-repair process: the tenant must try at least twice to reach the emergency contact number the landlord is required to provide, then may arrange the repair directly once those attempts fail and reasonable notice has been given, with the landlord required to reimburse the reasonable cost. Alberta and Manitoba guidance both treat a genuine health-or-safety emergency, such as a total loss of heat, as calling for a landlord response within about a day, with more time allowed for non-emergency repairs. If a landlord will not restore heat or another vital service, contact your provincial or territorial tenancy tribunal and, in a municipality with its own vital-services or property-standards bylaw, the municipality's bylaw enforcement office as well.

If the landlord still will not fix the problem

Every province and territory has a tenancy tribunal or rental office that can order a landlord to make repairs, and most can also order a rent abatement, a reduction reflecting the reduced value of living with the problem, for the period the landlord was in breach. In Ontario, a tenant applies to the Landlord and Tenant Board using Form T6, and the Board can order the repair work done, order a rent abatement, or, in serious cases, allow the tenant to end the tenancy. This rent abatement is a tribunal-ordered remedy for a maintenance problem, distinct from the rules that limit how much a landlord can raise the rent between tenancy terms, covered in rent increase rules. Quebec tenants apply to the Tribunal administratif du logement, which enforces the Civil Code obligations described above. Municipalities also enforce their own property standards, building or vital-services bylaws separately from the tenancy tribunal, and a call to municipal bylaw enforcement can prompt an inspection and a compliance order against the landlord, sometimes faster than a full tribunal hearing.

The tribunal or office that hears a repair complaint differs by jurisdiction:

• Ontario: Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB)
• British Columbia: Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB)
• Alberta: Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS), or the courts for matters outside its process
• Quebec: Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL)
• Manitoba: Residential Tenancies Branch
• Saskatchewan: Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT)
• Nova Scotia: Residential Tenancies Program
• New Brunswick: Residential Tenancies Tribunal
• Prince Edward Island: Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC), Residential Rental Property Office
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Residential Tenancies
• Yukon: Residential Tenancies Office (RTO)
• Northwest Territories and Nunavut: Rental Officer

A landlord's own right to enter the unit to inspect it or carry out an approved repair is a related but separate topic, covered in landlord entry and privacy.

Can you withhold rent or repair it yourself and deduct the cost?

In most of Canada, unilaterally withholding rent because a landlord has not made a repair is not a recognized self-help remedy, and it can expose the tenant to an application for eviction for non-payment of rent even where the underlying repair complaint is genuine. The usual route in most provinces and territories is to apply to the tenancy tribunal for a repair order and a rent abatement, rather than deducting money from rent on your own.

Two provinces build a narrow, conditions-based exception into their law. British Columbia allows a tenant who has properly arranged an emergency repair, after at least two attempts to reach the landlord's emergency contact, to deduct the reasonable cost from rent if the landlord does not reimburse it once given the receipts and a written breakdown. Quebec's Civil Code allows a tenant who has made every reasonable effort to notify the lessor of an urgent and necessary repair, and who is not reimbursed, to withhold the reasonable cost from a future rent payment without prior authorization from the Tribunal administratif du logement, though a tenant can also ask the Tribunal in advance to authorize a non-urgent repair and fix the amount. New Brunswick takes a different route again, since a Residential Tenancies Officer can order rent diverted to the Tribunal pending repairs, rather than leaving the tenant to withhold it directly. Outside these specific, documented situations, get an order from your tribunal before reducing what you pay.

Disclaimer

This article provides general legal information about landlord repair and maintenance obligations across Canada, verified on 19 July 2026. It is not legal advice and does not replace advice from a lawyer or paralegal licensed in your province or territory, or from your local tenant advocacy office. Tenancy law changes and individual tribunals interpret it based on the specific facts of a dispute, so confirm current requirements with your provincial or territorial tenancy tribunal before relying on this guide for a specific situation. For related topics, see Canada tenant rights, landlord entry and privacy, rent increase rules, and Canadian law by province.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must a landlord fix in a rental unit in Canada?

In every province and territory, a landlord must keep the rental unit and the building in a good state of repair, fit for habitation, and compliant with the health, safety and housing standards that apply where you live, such as under section 20 of Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 or section 32 of British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act. In Quebec, the equivalent duty comes from articles 1854 and 1910 of the Civil Code of Quebec.

Can I stop paying rent if my landlord will not make repairs?

Generally no. Withholding rent on your own is not a recognized remedy in most of Canada and can be used as grounds for an eviction application for non-payment of rent. Apply to your provincial or territorial tenancy tribunal for a repair order and a rent abatement instead. British Columbia and Quebec allow a narrow, conditions-based deduction only after specific emergency or urgent-repair steps have been followed.

What counts as an emergency repair?

An emergency repair is one needed for health or safety or to preserve the property, such as a total loss of heat, a major water leak, no running water, or a broken exterior lock. British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Act requires a tenant to try at least twice to reach the landlord's emergency contact before arranging the repair directly and seeking reimbursement, and other provinces apply similar urgency standards, often expecting a response within about a day for a genuine emergency.

How do I document a repair request?

Tell the landlord about the problem in writing, by letter, email or a maintenance request form, and keep a copy with the date. Add photos or video and a simple log of when the problem began, when you reported it and any response you received. Tribunals such as Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board expect this kind of written record before hearing a maintenance application.

What can the tenancy tribunal do if my landlord ignores repair requests?

Most provincial and territorial tribunals, such as Ontario's Landlord and Tenant Board, British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Branch, Alberta's Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service, or Quebec's Tribunal administratif du logement, can order the landlord to complete repairs by a set date and can order a rent abatement for the period the problem went unresolved. In serious cases involving unfit housing, a tribunal can also allow the tenant to end the tenancy. Municipal bylaw or property standards enforcement is a separate route that can run alongside a tribunal application.