Bill 180 - Residential Tenancies Act (amended)
BILL NO. 180
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2025
Private Member's Public Bill
Residential Tenancies Act
(amended)
The Honourable Iain Rankin
Timberlea–Prospect
First Reading: October 3, 2025
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Notes
Clause 1 amends the Residential Tenancies Act to provide that a provision in a lease prohibiting animals is void.
Clause 2 provides that a landlord’s rule prohibiting animals is void.
Clause 3 restricts the authority of the Director of Residential Tenancies to make an order terminating a tenancy and ordering the tenant to vacate in the circumstance that an application is made to the Director based on the presence, control or behaviour of an animal in or about the residential premises.
An Act to Amend Chapter 401
of the Revised Statutes, 1989,
the Residential Tenancies Act,
Respecting Protection for Pet Owners
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Section 8 of Chapter 401 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Residential Tenancies Act, as amended by Chapter 12 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by adding immediately after subsection (1) the following subsection:
- (1A) A provision in a lease prohibiting the presence of animals in or about the residential premises is void.
2 Section 9A of Chapter 401, as enacted by Chapter 40 of the Acts of 1993, is amended by adding immediately after subsection (3) the following subsection:
- (4) A rule prohibiting the presence of animals in or about the residential premises is void.
3 Section 17A of Chapter 401, as enacted by Chapter 7 of the Acts of 1997 and amended by Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2010, Chapter 64 of the Acts of 2012 and Chapter 41 of the Acts of 2018, is further amended by
(a) adding "(1)" immediately after the Section number;
(b) in clause (1)(e), as renumbered, adding "subject to subsection (2)," immediately before "terminate"; and
(c) adding immediately after subsection (1), as renumbered, the following subsections:
- (2) Where an application pursuant to Section 13 is based on the presence, control or behaviour of an animal in or about the residential premises, the Director shall not terminate the tenancy and order the tenant to vacate the residential premises unless the Director is satisfied that the tenant is keeping an animal and that
(a) subject to subsection (3), the past behaviour of an animal of that species has substantially interfered with the reasonable enjoyment of the residential premises for all usual purpose by the landlord or other tenants;
(b) subject to subsection (4), the presence of an animal of that species has caused the landlord or another tenant to suffer a serious allergic reaction; or
(c) the presence of an animal of that species or breed is inherently dangerous to the safety of the landlord or the other tenants.
(3) The Director shall not terminate the tenancy and order the tenant to vacate the residential premises relying on clause (2)(a) if the Director is satisfied that the animal kept by the tenant did not cause or contribute to the substantial interference.
(4) The Director shall not terminate the tenancy and order the tenant to vacate the residential premises relying on clause (2)(b) if the Director is satisfied that the animal kept by the tenant did not cause or contribute to the allergic reaction.