How Often Can a Landlord Increase Rent in New Brunswick?

The 12-Month Rule

Section 11.1(2.01) of New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act sets the default frequency limit for fixed-term, year-to-year, month-to-month, and week-to-week tenancies: unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise in writing, there can be no increase in the first consecutive 12-month period of the tenancy agreement and no more than one increase in any other consecutive 12-month period. Mobile home site increases are governed separately by Section 25.4.

The rule has two parts:

First-year lockout. Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, no rent increase is permitted during the first consecutive 12-month period of the tenancy agreement. The Act measures this period from the tenancy agreement's commencement, which can take effect on the date fixed for commencement even without the tenant's physical entry.

Subsequent lockout. Unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, there can be no more than one increase in any other consecutive 12-month period of the tenancy agreement.

What Doesn't Reset the Clock

Several events that landlords commonly assume restart the 12-month period actually don't:

• Property sale. A new owner inherits the existing tenancy and its timeline. If the previous owner raised rent in March, the new owner cannot raise it again until the following March.
• Management change. Hiring or changing a property management company has no effect on the frequency count.
• Lease renewal. Signing a new fixed-term lease with the same tenant does not create a "new tenancy" for frequency purposes. The clock keeps running from the original possession date or last increase.
• Automatic conversion. When a fixed-term lease expires and converts to a month-to-month periodic tenancy, the frequency timeline continues unbroken.

How This Interacts with the Notice Period

The default 12-month frequency limit and the 6-month notice period can overlap. You don't need to wait 12 months before serving the notice, but the effective date must satisfy the applicable frequency rule unless the parties agreed otherwise in writing.

Example: A tenant moved in on March 1, 2026. You can serve a notice as early as September 1, 2026 (the first day of the seventh month). With six months' notice, the earliest effective date is March 1, 2027 — exactly 12 months after possession. The timing works.

If you try to set the effective date at February 1, 2027 (only 11 months), the notice is premature and a Residential Tenancies Officer can set it aside.

Frequency Violations and Consequences

If a landlord serves a second rent increase notice within the 12-month window, the tenant can file an Application for Assistance with the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office within 60 days. The officer will set aside the premature notice.

The consequence is the same as any other invalid notice: the increase is voided, and the landlord must start over with a fresh notice and a new six-month wait. On a $1,200/month unit at the 3% cap, that's $36/month in forgone revenue for every month of delay.

Annual Rent Review Strategy

Since the default rule permits no more than one increase per consecutive 12-month period, timing matters. Most landlords align increases with the lease anniversary or the calendar year. Whichever date you pick, mark it and start planning the notice six months ahead.

If you miss your window — say, you could have raised rent effective January 1 but didn't serve the notice in time — there's no penalty. You can serve a notice whenever you're ready, and the effective date simply falls six months later. You just can't do a "catch-up" double increase to make up for the missed year.

For the complete step-by-step process, including notice drafting, service methods, and the above-cap application route, see our Rent Increases in New Brunswick guide.

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