Cost of Evicting a Tenant in Alberta

Direct Costs Breakdown

Eviction in Alberta isn't free, even when you do everything yourself. Here's what each stage actually costs:

A straightforward eviction where the tenant cooperates after the notice — paying rent to cure a non-payment notice, or vacating by the termination date — costs nothing beyond the registered-mail fee (if you used that service method). The costs stack up when the tenant contests or stays.

The Hidden Cost: Lost Rent

The biggest expense in most Alberta evictions isn't the filing fees — it's the rent you don't collect while the process runs. A 14-day notice that leads to an RTDRS hearing and bailiff enforcement can take 8–14 weeks. At $1,500/month rent, that's $3,000–$5,250 in lost income, assuming the tenant stops paying entirely.

For a three-month prescribed-reason termination where the tenant stays past the notice period, the lost-rent exposure climbs further. Every week between "the notice expired" and "the bailiff removes the tenant" is a week of carrying costs — mortgage, insurance, property taxes, utilities — with no offsetting income.

The RTDRS can order the tenant to pay outstanding rent as part of its judgment, but collecting on that order is a separate problem. Many tenants who've been evicted for non-payment don't have the funds to satisfy a monetary judgment.

RTDRS Fee Waiver

If you qualify as low-income, the RTDRS offers a fee waiver through Form RTDRS12875 (Request for RTDRS Fee Waiver and Statement of Finances). You'll need to demonstrate financial hardship — the standard is based on your income and assets. Most landlords who own rental property won't qualify, but it's available for those who do.

RTDRS vs. Court: Which Is Cheaper?

The RTDRS is almost always the more cost-effective path. Filing fees are lower ($75 vs. $100–$250 at the Alberta Court of Justice), hearings are typically scheduled faster (2–4 weeks vs. potentially longer in court), and the process is designed for self-represented parties — you don't need a lawyer to navigate it.

The Alberta Court of Justice makes sense in limited situations: when the claim exceeds the RTDRS's $100,000 jurisdiction, when you need a remedy the RTDRS can't grant, or when the tenant has already filed in court and you're responding rather than initiating.

Can You Recover Eviction Costs?

The RTDRS can award reasonable costs to the successful party in some cases, but this is discretionary. Filing fees are commonly awarded when the landlord succeeds, but bailiff fees and lost rent during the process are less consistently recovered. Don't assume you'll get costs back — budget for the possibility that you won't.

What an Eviction Actually Costs in Practice

For a typical non-payment eviction that goes through the full RTDRS process:

• Registered mail for the notice: ~$20
• RTDRS filing fee: $75
• Court registration for Writ of Possession: ~$150
• Civil enforcement bailiff: $500–$1,200+
• Lost rent (8 weeks at $1,500/month): ~$3,000

Total out-of-pocket: ~$745–$1,445+. Total with lost rent: ~$3,745–$4,445+.

The notice is where you have the most control over costs. An invalid notice — wrong clear-day count, missing curative clause, insufficient detail — means starting the entire timeline over. That's another 14+ days of lost rent before you even get back to the RTDRS.

Our Ending a Tenancy in Alberta guide helps you get the notice right the first time — notice date calculator, service log, and RTDRS evidence checklist included.

See more Alberta guides →