BILL NO. 178
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2025
Private Member's Public Bill
Safe and Clean Apartments Act
The Honourable Iain Rankin
Timberlea–Prospect
First Reading: October 3, 2025
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Notes
Clause 1 sets out the short title of the Act.
Clause 2 requires the Minister of Service Nova Scotia to create standards for landlords with respect to their obligation to keep premises in a good state of repair and fit for habitation during a tenancy.
Clause 3 allows the Governor in Council to make regulations prescribing the period of time within which a landlord must address deficiencies with a residential premises.
An Act to Amend Chapter 401
of the Revised Statutes, 1989,
the Residential Tenancies Act,
Respecting Safe and Clean Apartments
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Safe and Clean Apartments Act.
2 Chapter 401 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Residential Tenancies Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 9B the following Section:
- 9C (1) Within 12 months of the coming into force of this Section, the Minister shall consult with landlords, tenants, municipalities and any other stakeholders the Minister considers appropriate for the purpose of developing a set of standards for landlords to follow with respect to their obligation under statutory condition 1 of subsection 9(1).
(2) The standards developed under subsection (1) must include standards for
(c) fire prevention and detection;
(d) ensuring tenants have access to electricity and water;
(f) security of rental units, including door and window locks;
(i) cleaning and maintaining common areas;
(j) cleaning that must be completed before a tenant takes possession of a residential premises, including cleaning that must be completed after a tenant gives up a residential premises following the termination of the tenancy;
(k) cleaning that must be completed in the event of the death of a person in a residential premises; and
(l) any other matter that the Minister considers appropriate.
(3) For greater certainty, a landlord is obligated, pursuant to statutory condition 1 of subsection 9(1), to comply with the requirements under the Building Code Act, the Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations, the Fire Safety Act and the Fire Safety Regulations that apply to the residential premises.
3 Subsection 26(1) of Chapter 401, as amended by Chapter 31 of the Acts of 1992, Chapter 40 of the Acts of 1993, Chapter 7 of the Acts of 1997, Chapter 10 of the Acts of 2002, Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2010, Chapter 70 of the Acts of 2011, Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2016, Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2018, Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2021 and Chapter 12 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (ce) the following clause:
- (cea) prescribing the period of time within which a landlord must address deficiencies with a residential premises for the purpose of statutory condition 1 of subsection 9(1);