How to End a Tenancy in the Northwest Territories as a Landlord

The NWT Is Not Like Other Provinces

If you own rental property in the Northwest Territories and expect to end a tenancy with a simple written notice, the Residential Tenancies Act (RSNWT 1988, c. R-5) has a surprise for you. A private landlord whose rental premises is not their only residence in the territory cannot issue a no-fault notice to terminate a periodic tenancy. There is no 30-day or 60-day "without cause" notice available here — unlike Alberta, Ontario, or British Columbia.

Every cause-based termination runs through the NWT Rental Officer, a quasi-judicial appointee with the power to issue binding orders that carry the same legal weight as a Supreme Court order once registered.

The Two Pathways for Ending a Tenancy

NWT landlord terminations split into two categories:

Unilateral written notice — available only in narrow circumstances:

• You are renting out your single residence in the territory (section 51(2) for fixed-term, section 52(2) for monthly tenancies)
• Subsidized public-housing landlords ending a monthly tenancy or fixed-term tenancy over 31 days (section 51(3) and 51(5))

Application to a Rental Officer — required for everything else:

• Non-payment of rent (s. 41)
• Property damage (s. 42)
• Noise or disturbance (s. 43)
• Uncleanliness (s. 45(2))
• Overcrowding (s. 45(3))
• Illegal activity (s. 46)
• Landlord or family personal use (s. 58(1)(a))
• Purchaser personal use (s. 58(1)(b))
• Demolition, major repairs, or conversion (s. 59)

The distinction matters because serving a written notice for a ground that actually requires a Rental Officer application wastes months and accomplishes nothing.

Fixed-Term Leases Do Not Automatically End Occupancy

Under section 49, a fixed-term tenancy ending on a specified date automatically renews as a monthly tenancy unless it has been terminated under the Act, the parties have entered into a new agreement, or the premises are employment accommodation. If a tenancy has been terminated and the former tenant remains, section 67 entitles the landlord to compensation for use and occupation. A landlord still needs an eviction order to regain possession if the former tenant does not leave (sections 48(2) and 63).

The Step-by-Step Process

1. Identify your statutory ground — confirm it matches one of the grounds listed above
2. Check prerequisites — entry inspection at the beginning of the tenancy and a report copy provided to the tenant within five days after inspection (s. 15), tenancy agreement copy delivered within 60 days, security deposit properly held with accrued interest
3. Prepare your evidence — inspection reports, rent ledgers, photographs, warning letters, or whatever the ground requires
4. File with the Rental Office — complete the official Application to a Rental Officer (March 2026 edition); for a paper filing, submit three copies of the form and supporting documents, or use the secure file-transfer option on the current form; pay the $100 filing fee
5. Attend the hearing — the Rental Office reports that three-way teleconference is the default method; in-person hearings are scheduled in limited cases. The Rental Officer hears both sides.
6. Receive the order — if granted, the Rental Officer issues a written decision and order of termination
7. Enforce if necessary — if the tenant does not leave, file the eviction order with the Supreme Court Registry within six months after it takes effect, obtain a Writ of Possession, and the Sheriff executes the physical eviction

What You Cannot Do

Do not regain possession unless the tenant has vacated or abandoned the premises or an eviction order authorizes it (s. 48(2)). Changing the locks without mutual consent and withholding vital services are prohibited by sections 25 and 33; harassment to force a tenant to leave is an offence under section 91(1)(c), carrying a fine of up to $2,000 on summary conviction.

One Process — Multiple Possible Outcomes

The Rental Officer has broad discretion. An application for non-payment might result in a payment schedule rather than immediate termination. A personal-use application requires proof of genuine intent, not a vague assertion. Prepare for the hearing as though the outcome depends on the quality of your evidence — because it does.

For a complete guide to every ground, notice period, form reference, and the full enforcement pipeline, see our NWT ending a tenancy guide.

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