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Nova Scotia requires the Standard Form of Lease — Form P. NestBord builds a document that includes every clause that form requires, captures e-signatures, and produces a ready-to-send PDF.
What every Nova Scotia lease must cover
Tenant's contents and liability insurance is strongly recommended. The landlord's insurance does not cover the tenant's personal property or personal liability. Where required by t…
RTA s. 9 (statutory conditions)
The tenant must not alter the premises, change the locks, or install fixtures without the landlord's prior written consent. The tenant must return the premises in substantially the…
RTA Schedule (Statutory Conditions), Condition 5
The landlord must keep the premises in a good state of repair and fit for habitation throughout the tenancy, complying with health, safety and housing standards. The tenant must ke…
RTA Schedule (Statutory Conditions) 1 and 4
The tenant may not assign or sublet the premises without the landlord's written consent, which must not be unreasonably withheld. The landlord may not charge a fee for considering …
RTA s. 9A
Rent is payable on the day specified in this lease. The landlord must provide a receipt for any rent paid in cash. Late fees, if any, must be set out in the lease and must be reaso…
RTA s. 9 (statutory conditions)
The landlord may enter the premises only: (a) in an emergency; (b) with the tenant's consent; (c) with 24 hours' written notice between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. for repairs, inspect…
RTA Schedule (Statutory Condition) 6
Fixed-term leases of one year or more automatically convert to year-to-year tenancies unless the tenant gives 3 months' notice before the end of the term. Month-to-month tenancies …
RTA ss. 10 and 10A–10F
Clauses Nova Scotia landlords add that don't actually work
These show up in homemade and copy-pasted leases all the time. None of them are enforceable in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia caps the security deposit at one-half (0.5) of one month's rent. Amounts above that are unenforceable.
RTA s. 12
While the temporary rent cap is in force (5% as of 2026), increases exceeding the cap are unenforceable for existing tenants, regardless of what the lease states.
RTA s. 11C; Residential Tenancies Regulations
A no-pets clause is permitted in Nova Scotia, but it is not enforceable against service animals or where it would conflict with the Human Rights Act.
Nova Scotia Human Rights Act s. 5(1)
Nova Scotia requires the Standard Form of Lease (Form P). A private lease is not invalid, but the statutory conditions apply automatically and the tenant may demand a Form P version.
RTA s. 8 and Schedule
The landlord's obligation to keep the premises in good repair (Statutory Condition 1) is non-waivable. The tenant is only liable for damage caused by the tenant or their guests.
RTA Schedule (Statutory Conditions)
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