Manitoba Rent Increase Exemption Threshold: $1,670 in 2026, $2,000 in 2027

Not every unit in Manitoba is bound by the annual rent increase cap. The exemptions are narrow and the rules shift between 2026 and 2027. A notice based on an exemption that does not apply may be invalid, and a tenant is not liable for rent above the amount permitted by the Act.

The High-Rent Exemption

Units where the monthly rent equals or exceeds a statutory dollar threshold are exempt from the annual guideline percentage — though still bound by three-month notice, Form 1A, and the 12-month frequency rule.

2026: units renting for $1,670 or more per month as of December 31, 2025, are exempt from the 1.8% cap. The landlord can set a higher increase, subject only to the standard procedural requirements.

2027: the threshold rises to $2,000 per month, effective January 1, 2027. This is a significant expansion of rent control — it re-captures every unit in the $1,670 to $1,999 band under guideline regulation.

The threshold is tested against the rent payable on the date specified in the regulation (December 31, 2025, for 2026 coverage). A landlord who raises a $1,650 unit to $1,670 mid-2026 does not gain the exemption for 2026 — the threshold is measured at the end of the prior year.

The 2027 Trap

A unit renting at $1,750 is exempt in 2026. If the landlord raises it to $1,825, that rent falls below $2,000 — and any 2027 increase is capped at 3.0%. Landlords with mid-range rents need to project whether their increase will keep them above or below the new threshold.

Conversely, a unit already at $2,000 or above stays exempt through 2027. The threshold change only affects landlords in the $1,670–$1,999 window.

Post-2005 New Construction

Under Section 116(2.2) of the Act, a new building qualifies if its first rental unit is occupied by a tenant after March 7, 2005, and its first occupancy permit, if required, is also issued after that date. The 20-year clock starts on the earlier of the first occupancy permit or the first tenant's occupancy.

If August 15, 2005, was the earlier of the first occupancy-permit date and the first tenant-occupancy date, the 20-year exemption expired on August 15, 2025. After it expires, rent increases are subject to the standard guideline unless another exemption applies. Landlords must maintain documentary proof of the relevant dates.

After the 20 years expire, the building transitions automatically into guideline regulation. There is no application, no notification from the RTB — the landlord must track it.

Subsidized and Life Lease Units

Rent-geared-to-income (social housing) units are exempt from the percentage cap because rent follows a household income formula. Non-profit life lease developments are also exempt from the guideline cap but require their own prescribed notice (Form 1B).

Both categories still require written notice on the prescribed form and are subject to RTB oversight.

Claiming an Exemption on Form 1A

Form 1A asks the landlord to state the reason if a unit is exempt from any part of the Act. Identify the applicable exemption in that field. The RTB's form warns that an increase may be void if the notice is not completed and given as required.

The Manitoba Rent Increase Landlord's Guide includes an exemption verification flowchart — four sequential checks (post-2005 build, effective date, rent threshold, discount structure) — so landlords confirm their exemption status before committing to a number.

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