Renting

Whether you are a tenant living in a rental property or a landlord renting out a property, there are laws you need to know about!

The resources on this page were hand-picked by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta's staff as a good place to start.

You may also find helpful resources listed under the legal topic: Landlord and tenant.

Check out CPLEA's website Laws for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta at www.landlordandtenant.org

Information, links and answers to important questions on COVID-19 for Albertans.  This page summarizes provincial and federal information about changes in the law and legal services as a result of the pandemic.


CPLEA Suggested Resources

Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.

The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta produces and distributes booklets and pamphlets that explain the law in plain language. Topics areas include but are not limited to: Landlord and tenant issues, renting with a pet, roommates, shared accommodation, foreclosure, real estate; and law-related education materials for schools. Publications are available as PDFs or print copies may be ordered.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

Information for landlords and tenants in Alberta.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

This kit has been designed for landlords, property managers and anyone else who works on-site or has access to residential rental units. It will help you understand the role you can play in preventing domestic violence on your premises. It also provides basic information on dealing with domestic violence when it does occur. For more CPLEA resources on abuse and violence in a relationship see: www.willownet.ca and www.cplea.ca/publications/abuse-and-family-violence/

Related legal topic(s): Family violence general resources, Landlord and tenant, Protective orders, Relationship violence, Spousal abuse

If you have a problem while renting, this tip sheet can help you figure out what to do. The tipsheet is a publication of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

Do you have questions about and your rights as a tenant when you have lost your job? Take a look at our new resource for answers to some common questions.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant, Loss of employment

LawNow is a bi-monthly digital public legal education magazine which has been  published by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta for almost 40 years.  Its articles  and columns are written in plain language take a practical look at how the law relates to the every day lives of Canadians.In each issue, LawNow’s landlord and tenant law column takes a look at a specific topic in this area of law and explains it clearly and concisely.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

These FAQs are provided by the Canadian Legal FAQs, a website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. They provide answers to questions about real estate law in Alberta including aspects of purchasing a home and land titles.

Related legal topic(s): Real estate and home ownership

This Handbook is designed to explain the rights and responsibilities of all tenants, landlords, and agents involved in renting residential premises in Alberta under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) and regulations: • Residential Tenancies Exemption Regulation • Residential Tenancies Ministerial Regulation • Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service Regulation • Security Deposit Interest Rate Regulation • Subsidized Public Housing Regulation

The Handbook will explain the minimum legislated requirements set out in the RTA. It provides landlords and tenants with options to deal with matters not established as minimum requirements and makes residential tenancy resource material available in a user-friendly format.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

Service Alberta investigates complaints from Albertans about consumer transactions, including landlord and tenant issues. The first step in the complaint process is to talk with an Information Officer at 780-427-4088 in Edmonton and toll free at 1-877-427-4088 throughout the rest of the province.

Related legal topic(s): Consumer protection and fraud, Landlord and tenant, Non-profit and charity law

Your rights when renting: Human rights in Alberta is a series of resources funded by the Alberta Human Rights Education and Multicultural Fund. In this project the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA)  has created resources for multicultural communities to learn about their rental rights under the Alberta Human Rights Act. These resources use real-life scenarios to explain what landlords are allowed to do and not do under the Act. The resources also explain what remedies are available and how individuals can access these remedies.

Related legal topic(s): Charter of Rights, Human rights, Refugees

Alberta Resources

An alphabetical list of terms or words found in or relating to landlord and tenant law in Alberta.

Related legal topic(s):

The Alberta Residential Landlord Associationn brings together owners, operators and managers of residential rental properties. Working together, they promote professionalism, education and equity in all aspects of the Residential Rental Business for the benefit of industry members and tenants.

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

This webpage on the Alberta Courts website is a resource for landlords and tenants.

The page includes information about: What should I do first?; Remedies under the RTA; How do I start my application?; How do I file and serve?; What can I do if I have been served with a notice of application?; What happens at the hearing?; What happens after the decision?; Enforcing the decision; and Appeals

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

The Calgary Residential Rental Association provides a voice for the residential rental industry, and provides professional services and learning opportunities for members, including educational programs and resources.
Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

Information for condominium owners, landlords and tenants about cannabis restrictions in condos, apartments and rental homes.

Related legal topic(s): Drugs and alcohol, Landlord and tenant

This tipsheet is created by Alberta Government Services and includes information about: Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service; Who is a tenant? Who is a landlord?; Moving In; Living There; Moving Out; Renting a Condominium; Resources and Referral Information. (PDF - 12 p.)

Related legal topic(s): Landlord and tenant

If a rental property is foreclosed upon, the rights of the tenant and the rights of the landlord will be affected. This booklet from the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta answers frequently asked questions about the foreclosure process with a focus on the implications for tenants. This 8 page PDF is available for free download.

Related legal topic(s): Bankruptcy and foreclosure, Landlord and tenant, Real estate and home ownership

This blog post clarifies the current law in terms of the human rights of residential tenants in Alberta, identifies concerns about a lack of effective protection of tenants’ human rights at the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service, and suggests that lawyers and advocates working in this area should ask questions to determine if discrimination is occurring and, if so, make their clients aware of their rights and how they can protect them.

Related legal topic(s): Disabilities, Human rights, Landlord and tenant

This tipsheet was prepared by the Alberta Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner to help landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities under the Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)

Related legal topic(s):

In Alberta, the Mobile Home Sites Tenancies Act (MHSTA) applies to people who own a mobile home and rent the mobile home site from a landlord. This law sets out the rights and responsibilities that apply to these tenancies, This publication provides general information about the MHSTA and the two supporting regulations.

Related legal topic(s):

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