Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick - Government of ...

Homeowners and landlords often put upsigns when they are ready to rent.You may also visit the manager’s office of anapartment building and ask what is available.If you rentTo begin renting, you will sign a contractcalled a lease, which has the details of theagreement you have with your landlord.Leases include:• your responsibilities;• the length of time you agree to live there.(Some leases allow you to pay one month ata time but usually they are one year long.);• the amount of money you will pay andwhen you will pay it;• what services (telephone, heat, cable, etc.)are included in the rent and what you needto arrange and pay for yourself; and• any special rules the landlord has such asrestrictions on pets, parking and noise.The landlord must provide you with a writtencopy of the lease.When you move in you may be required topay a security deposit. A security deposit is:• money paid to the provincial rentalsmanwhile you are renting;• it is kept to pay your landlord for damagesyou may cause to his or her property;• if there is no damage, the rentalsman 3 willreturn it to you when you move out; and• you cannot be charged more than onemonth’s rent as a security deposit.Your rights:• the landlord must repair and maintainthe house or apartment and the largeappliances such as the refrigerator or stove;• you cannot be asked to leave if you aremeeting your responsibilities;• your rent cannot be increased withoutgiving you notice of two to three months.If you receive notice that the rent is goingto be increased, you may move prior to theincrease starting as long as you write toyour landlord.Your responsibilities:• you must pay all your rent and pay it ontime according to your lease;• you must keep the space you are rentingclean and not damage it;• if you want to paint or make big changes,you must talk to your landlord first; and• you must be considerate of other renters.This means not leaving toys or bicyclesin shared areas such as hallways and notbeing noisy, especially at nightIf you have any questions or if you feel youare being treated unfairly, contact your localrentalsman:• toll-free, 1-888-762-8600• www.snb.ca/e/1000/1000-2/e/1000-2_001_e.aspThe rentalsman is available Monday to Friday,8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.The Public Legal Information and EducationService (PLEIS) has a brochure about thelaws that apply to landlords and tenantsin New Brunswick:• 1-506-462-5193• www.legal-info-legale.nb.ca/showpub.asp?id=55&langid=1Or write:Public Legal Education and InformationService of New Brunswick,P.O. Box 6000,Fredericton, NBE3B 5H138Orientation guide for newcomers to New Brunswick3-Rentalsman: A provincial government office that seeksto resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. Therentalsman holds all security deposits paid by tenants.