Alberta has a higher than average turnover rate in the rental market than most of Canada. It is unclear why Alberta has a higher turnover rate, but we have heard that the options available to tenants and landlords to end a tenancy are ineffective or too severe.

There are more than a dozen reasons a landlord or tenant may end a tenancy under the Residential Tenancies Act. The rules and conditions for ending a tenancy can be hard to find in the law and can be different depending on the type of tenancy. In practice, ending a tenancy can become very complicated.

ALRI has published Residential Tenancies Act: Ending a Tenancy, Issues Paper 8. This report is the third in a series summarizing issues under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act. This report focuses on the issues specific to ending a tenancy and does not make recommendations for changing the law. ALRI may make recommendations on some of these issues in the near future but many of these issues would be better addressed by other organizations or legislative bodies.

The Residential Tenancies Act affects a wide range of people. Over a quarter of households in the province live in rental housing. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, sets rules for renting homes, and provides ways to resolve disputes. Tenants can be from any demographic or background. It also affects landlords, from larger corporate landlords to individuals who rent a basement suite in their home. The stakes in residential tenancy disputes go beyond money. They can impact a person’s health, housing security, and overall quality of life.