The short version
- Six provinces cap the increase. Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador do not.
- Notice periods run from 12 weeks to six months, and that is what really controls when you have to decide.
- Ontario has published 2027 at 1.9%. British Columbia, Manitoba and PEI had not published theirs as at August 2026.
- Deposit rules vary more than the caps do, from nothing at all in Quebec to a full month in Alberta.
- Every one of these is a date on a calendar, not a judgement call. That is why it goes wrong.
01The whole country on one screen
If you own in more than one province, the thing that will catch you is not the percentage. It is the notice period. A Nova Scotia increase needs four months of warning and a New Brunswick one needs six, so the decision has to be made most of a year ahead of the money.
Everything below is current as at August 2026 and linked to the province's own page at the foot of this article. Caps are reset annually in most of the country, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm the figure before you serve anything.
| Province | 2026 limit | 2027 | Notice | Once every |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2.1% | 1.9% | 90 days | 12 months |
| British Columbia | 2.3% | Not announced | 3 months | 12 months |
| Alberta | No cap | No cap | 3 months | 365 days |
| Saskatchewan | No cap | No cap | 12 weeks | 12 months |
| Manitoba | 1.8% | Not announced | 3 months | 12 months |
| Quebec | 3.1% basic rate | Set each January | 3 to 6 months | Per lease term |
| Nova Scotia | 5% | 5% | 4 months | 12 months |
| New Brunswick | 3% | 3% | 6 months | 12 months |
| Prince Edward Island | 2% | Not announced | 3 months | 12 months |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | No cap | No cap | 3 months | 12 months |
02No cap does not mean no rules
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador do not set a maximum increase. That is the part landlords remember. The part they forget is that the timing rules in those provinces are just as strict as anywhere else, and an increase that breaks them is just as invalid.
Alberta allows one increase every 365 days with three full tenancy months of notice, and no increase at all during a fixed term. Saskatchewan requires at least 12 weeks on the prescribed Form 5, and again nothing mid-term. Newfoundland and Labrador requires three months for a monthly tenancy and two weeks for a weekly one, on the notice prescribed under section 16.
In an uncapped province the only thing that can go wrong is the date. Which means the only thing worth systematising is the date.
03Deposits differ more than the caps do
If you are used to one province's deposit rules, the others will surprise you. Quebec does not allow a security deposit at all. Ontario allows only last month's rent and owes the tenant interest on it every year. Alberta allows a full month. New Brunswick makes you hand the deposit to the Tribunal rather than hold it yourself.
| Province | Maximum deposit | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | One month, last month's rent only | Interest owed annually at the guideline rate. No damage or pet deposits. |
| British Columbia | Half a month | Plus a pet damage deposit of up to half a month. |
| Alberta | One month | Held in an interest-bearing trust account at a rate the province sets each year, 0% for 2026. |
| Saskatchewan | One month | Half at move-in, the balance within two months. |
| Manitoba | Half a month | Plus a pet damage deposit of up to half a month. |
| Quebec | None | Security deposits are not permitted. |
| Nova Scotia | Half a month | Returned within 10 days of the tenancy ending unless deductions apply. |
| New Brunswick | One month | Held by the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, not by the landlord. |
| Prince Edward Island | One month | One week for a weekly tenancy. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Three quarters of a month | Two weeks' rent on a weekly tenancy. |
04What a multi-province portfolio actually needs
05Run your own number
The calculator below is Ontario-specific, because Ontario is where the guideline, the 90 day notice and the deemed service days interact in a way that trips people up most often. For other provinces, start from the notice period in the table above and work backwards from the date you want the new rent to start.
TenantBay calculatorWhat can you actually raise the rent to?
Three rules decide every Ontario rent increase: the guideline for the year the increase takes effect, 90 days of written notice on Form N1, and 12 months since the last increase. Miss any one of them and the increase is void.
Your tenancy
What the law allows
Put in the rent and the date of the last increase. You will get the maximum lawful rent, the earliest date it can take effect, and the day the notice has to be out the door.
General information about the Residential Tenancies Act, not legal advice. Confirm the guideline and the current N1 form with the Landlord and Tenant Board before you serve anything.
06One place for every property, wherever it is
A portfolio spread across provinces is a portfolio where the rules are different on every property and the record has to be identical on all of them. That is a filing problem more than a legal one.
TenantBay keeps the lease, the rent history, the last increase date, the deposit and the tenancy documents on each property, whichever province it sits in, so the dates that matter are attached to the unit rather than to whichever spreadsheet you were using that year. One login, one view of every building, and a year-end that comes out of the same records you were keeping anyway.
Questions landlords actually ask
Which provinces have no rent cap?
Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador do not set a maximum increase. All three still restrict how often rent can be raised and how much notice is required.
Which province requires the most notice for a rent increase?
New Brunswick, at six months. Nova Scotia is next at four. Most of the rest sit at three months or 90 days, and Saskatchewan is 12 weeks.
Has Ontario announced the 2027 guideline?
Yes. It is 1.9% for increases that take effect during 2027, down from 2.1% in 2026. British Columbia, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island had not published their 2027 figures as at August 2026.
Can I raise rent during a fixed-term lease?
In most provinces, no. The increase has to take effect at the start of a new term or during a periodic tenancy, and the full notice period still has to run first.
Sources
- Ontario: residential rent increases
- British Columbia: rent increases, Residential Tenancy Branch
- Manitoba: rent increase guideline
- PEI Rental Office: rent increases
- New Brunswick: rent increases
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Landlord's Notice to Increase Rent (s.16 form)
- Alberta: rent increases and security deposits
- Nova Scotia: Residential Tenancies Program
- Tribunal administratif du logement, Quebec
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