Manitoba Winter Eviction Rules: Can a Landlord Evict in Winter?

There Is No Winter Eviction Ban in Manitoba

Despite what many landlords and tenants believe, Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Act does not prohibit evictions during the winter months. A landlord can serve a valid termination notice at any time of year, and the RTB will process an Order of Possession application regardless of the season.

This is a persistent myth, likely stemming from the severity of Manitoba winters and the practical reluctance of enforcement agencies to schedule removals in extreme cold. But reluctance is not a legal prohibition.

What Protections Actually Exist

While there is no blanket winter ban, several provisions of the RTA can extend timelines in ways that effectively delay a winter eviction:

Vacancy-rate-adjusted notice periods. Landlord-use, demolition, renovation, and change-of-use notices require three to five months' notice depending on the vacancy rate. A purchaser's sale notice under Form 11A follows a separate scale: one month at 3% or higher and three months below 3%, or three months for a fixed-term tenancy. In areas where the rate is below 2%, a landlord-use notice requires five full months. A notice served in October could push the move-out date to March.

School-age child protection. Under sections 98 and 99 of the RTA, when a no-fault notice would end a tenancy during the school year (September 1 through June 30), a tenant living with a child who attends a school reasonably accessible to the unit cannot be required to leave before that school year ends.

Utility disconnection is illegal. A landlord cannot disconnect heat, water, or electricity at any time — winter or otherwise. This is a self-help eviction and may also result in an administrative penalty.

The Practical Reality

Sheriff enforcement of a Writ of Possession may take weeks to schedule during busy periods, and severe weather warnings can cause postponements. But these are scheduling logistics, not legal protections. Once the writ is issued, enforcement will proceed when conditions allow.

What You Should Do

If you need to end a tenancy and winter is approaching, the timeline matters more than the season. Serve the correct notice as early as possible, factor in the vacancy-rate notice period for no-fault grounds, and check whether the school-age child rule applies.

Our Ending a Tenancy in Manitoba guide includes a notice-date worksheet that accounts for all of these timing factors, so you can plan your timeline before you serve.

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