BILL NO. 132
(as introduced)
2nd Session, 63rd General Assembly
Nova Scotia
68 Elizabeth II, 2019
Private Member's Bill
An Act Respecting Tenants' Right
to Know About Human Health Hazards
Lisa Roberts
Halifax Needham
First Reading: March 29, 2019
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Notes
Clauses 1 and 2 amend the Health Protection Act to
(a) require landlords to report the presence of vermin, bedbugs, lice, mould, ants or cockroaches to a medical officer; and
(b) require the Minister of Health and Wellness to make such reports publicly available and searchable.
Clause 3 amends the Residential Tenancies Act to
(a) require landlords to inform prospective tenants of any reports of vermin, bedbugs, lice, mould, ants or cockroaches; and
(b) allow tenants who did not receive the reports to terminate their tenancy.
An Act Respecting Tenants' Right
to Know About Human Health Hazards
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Chapter 4 of the Acts of 2004, the Health Protection Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 31 the following Section:
- 31A (1) A landlord, as defined in the Residential Tenancies Act, who has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that residential premises owned or operated by the landlord contain
(b) bedbugs, lice, mould, ants or cockroaches; or
(c) other prescribed substances, things, plants, animals or organisms,
shall forthwith report that belief to a medical officer.
(2) A report under subsection (1) must include the address of the residential premises.
(3) A medical officer who receives a report under subsection (1) shall, in addition to any other action required by this Act, send a copy of the report to the Minister.
(4) The Minister shall make any reports received under subsection (3) accessible on a website operated by the Minister.
(5) The website referred to in subsection (4) must
(a) be accessible to the public at no charge;
(b) be searchable by address; and
(c) include at least the previous five years of reports for each address.
2 Subsection 74(1) of Chapter 4, as amended by Chapter 32 of the Acts of 2014, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (d) the following clause:
- (da) prescribing substances, things, plants, animals and organisms for the purpose of clause 31A(1)(c);
3 Chapter 401 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Residential Tenancies Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 20 the following Section:
- 20A (1) Prior to leasing residential premises to a prospective tenant, a landlord shall provide the prospective tenant with a copy of any reports made under Section 31A of the Health Protection Act within the previous five years in respect of those premises or other premises in the same building.
(2) Where a landlord has failed to comply with subsection (1), a tenant who did not receive the reports made under Section 31A of the Health Protection Act prior to entering into the tenancy may terminate the tenancy by giving the owner one month's notice to quit, in the form prescribed in the regulations.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2019 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created March 29, 2019. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
