How to File an RTDRS Application in Alberta

When You Need the RTDRS

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service is the quasi-judicial tribunal Alberta created specifically for landlord-tenant disputes. You'll need it when a tenant refuses to vacate after a valid notice expires, or when a tenant serves a Notice of Objection that voids your 14-day breach notice.

The RTDRS has authority to terminate tenancies, grant possession orders, and award monetary judgments up to $100,000. It's faster and cheaper than the Alberta Court of Justice, which also has jurisdiction — but once you file with the RTDRS, you're committed to that forum unless you withdraw.

The Filing Process, Step by Step

Step 1: Access the eFiling portal. Go to the RTDRS eFiling Service through the Government of Alberta website (alberta.ca/rtdrs-apply). You'll create an account or log in.

Step 2: Complete Form RTDR0007. This is the Landlord's Application for Termination of Tenancy and Unpaid Rent — the standard form when your tenant is still in the unit. Fill in the property address, tenancy details, the grounds for termination, and any rent arrears.

If the tenant has already moved out but owes rent or left damage, use the Landlord's Application for Damages form instead.

Step 3: Upload your evidence. Attach your tenancy agreement, the termination notice you served, your rent ledger, photographs of any damage, and written correspondence. Evidence must be formatted for the RTDRS scanner: standard letter or legal paper, single-sided, unpunched, unstapled, and without sleeves or binders.

Step 4: Pay the filing fee. It is $75 for claims up to $7,500 and $150 for claims over $7,500, due when you apply. If paying the fee would cause financial difficulty, you can apply for a waiver using Form RTDR12093 (RTDRS Fee Waiver Form); the application requires 3 months' proof of income.

Step 5: Serve the hearing package. After filing, the RTDRS sends you the Application Package, including the Notice of Telephone Hearing, your application, and evidence. Serve it on the tenant by email if you previously communicated or agreed to communicate by email and can show delivery, by personal service, or by registered mail. If those attempts fail and the tenant is evading service or temporarily absent, you may serve an adult who appears to live with the tenant or post it in plain sight. Service must happen at least 3 clear days before the hearing date; the service date, hearing date, weekends, and holidays do not count.

Step 6: File your Declaration of Service. Complete the sworn Declaration of Service form (RTDR0002) confirming exactly when, where, and how you served the tenant. Upload it to the portal before or on the hearing day.

What Happens at the Hearing

RTDRS hearings are typically held by telephone conference or online video, usually scheduled within 2 to 4 weeks of filing. A Tenancy Dispute Officer hears evidence from both sides and issues a binding order.

If the officer grants your application, you'll receive a formal Order of Possession specifying the date and time the tenant must leave.

After You Win: Enforcement

An RTDRS order can't be enforced directly by police or by you. To physically remove a tenant who ignores the order, you need to:

1. Register the RTDRS Order with the Court of King's Bench
2. Obtain a Writ of Possession from the Court Clerk
3. Deliver the Writ to a licensed Civil Enforcement Agency

A Sheriff-appointed bailiff then executes the physical eviction. Enforcement agency fees typically run $500 to $1,200+, depending on travel, time, and lock replacement.

Key Forms Reference

The full guide to ending a tenancy in Alberta covers the RTDRS process alongside notice drafting, clear-day calculations, and service methods — get it here.

See more Alberta guides →