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Laws that Apply to Renting

The person who pays rent for a place to live is called the tenant. The person who rents out the place is called the landlord. Both landlords and tenants have legal rights and duties.

Why this Information is Important

The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 is the law that deals with renting a place to live. It sets out certain rights and duties that are part of every rental agreement. These are called the Standard Conditions and they are set out under the Regulations to the Act. If a landlord or tenant does not follow the Act they may have to pay the other party for damages or losses that result. A landlord and a tenant cannot agree that any part of the Act will not apply to them. That kind of agreement cannot be enforced.

Situations Covered by the Act

The Act applies to almost all situations where living spaces are rented. This includes…

  • rentals in both urban and rural areas
  • rental agreements entered into by people who are under 18
  • mobile home rentals
  • most "room and board" situations
  • senior residences that provide meals and accommodations

Situations Not Covered by the Act

The Act does not apply to…

  • living accommodations and a business located together and rented under a single agreement
  • a farm or acreage rented to the person who is farming the land
  • residences rented to students and staff by educational institutions
  • personal care homes
  • residences that are under very long-term leases (for life or more than 20 years)

The Act also does not apply to many temporary living arrangements such as stays in:

  • hotels or motels for less than six consecutive months
  • crisis or emergency shelters
  • hospitals
  • the YMCA, YWCA or Salvation Army

Other Laws

There are other laws that also apply to rented homes. These include fire regulations, housing standards and human rights laws. Landlords and tenants can also add other terms they agree on to their rental agreements.

Information is also available from the Government of Saskatchewan. There are specific forms for doing things like ending a tenancy. In some cases, approved forms are required. All approved forms are available from the Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT).

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PLEA gratefully acknowledges our primary core funder the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan for their continuing and generous support of our organization.