N.S. reveals strategy to resolve disputes between landlords, tenants quicker

By CityNews Halifax Staff

A new online service from the Nova Scotia government aims to make it easier for tenants and landlords to deal with claims on security deposits.

In a release from the province, Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Service Nova Scotia, said the changes aim to make it simpler for both tenants and landlords to deal with a security deposit at the end of a tenancy and speed up the process overall.

“As an advocate for lower-income tenants, I welcome the change to a simpler and faster process to address security deposits,” Tammy Wohler, a managing lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, said in the release.

Currently, tenants use the same generic form as landlords when a security deposit is in dispute with applications requiring a hearing to reach a resolution.

As of Aug. 1, landlords and tenants will have their own online forms, which the province said will allow for resolutions without a hearing.

Tenants can apply when they have not received their security deposit or if they disagree with the landlord’s request to keep any portion of the security deposit.

“Unfortunately, there are some landlords who simply retain security deposits as a matter of routine. Providing an accessible path to a quick resolution will ensure greater accountability for both landlords and tenants,” Wohler said.