Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton Rent Increase Rules for Landlords

There Are No City-Level Rent Rules in New Brunswick

If you are a landlord in Moncton, Saint John, or Fredericton, your rent increase rules come from the provincial government — not city hall. Municipal councils in New Brunswick have no legal authority to set local rent caps, alter notice periods, or create rental registers that affect how much you can charge.

This is a genuine source of confusion. In other parts of Canada, municipal rent stabilization bylaws exist alongside provincial rules. In New Brunswick, all rent control mechanics are governed exclusively by the Residential Tenancies Act (R.S.N.B. 1975, c. R-10.2) and its regulations. Whether your rental property is in downtown Moncton, uptown Saint John, or the University of New Brunswick area of Fredericton, the rules are identical.

The Provincial Rules That Apply Everywhere

3% annual cap: in effect from February 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027, the maximum rent increase for an existing tenant is 3.0% per year without prior approval from a Residential Tenancies Officer.

Default 12-month frequency limit: unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise in writing, no increase during the first consecutive 12-month period of the tenancy agreement and no more than one increase in any other consecutive 12-month period.

Six months' written notice: served as a standalone separate document, not combined with a lease renewal or any other communication.

Vacancy decontrol: when a tenant leaves, you can set the initial rent at market value for the next tenant. The cap only applies to increases during an ongoing tenancy.

These rules apply whether you own one unit in Dieppe or a dozen in Miramichi.

What Cities Do Control

Municipal governments in New Brunswick oversee building codes, zoning, fire safety, and property tax assessment. If you are converting a property to rental use, the city's zoning bylaws and building inspection requirements apply. Fredericton's short-term rental regulations, for example, affect Airbnb-style listings — but they do not touch long-term residential rent.

Property tax rates vary by municipality, and the annual Residential Tenancy Administration Fee under Section 8.2 of the Act is calculated from those assessments. A property tax increase in Moncton or Saint John raises your operating costs, but you cannot pass that increase directly to tenants as a separate charge — it must come through the rent increase process, subject to the 3% cap.

Where to Go for Help in Each City

The Tenant and Landlord Relations Office, operating under Service New Brunswick, handles rent increase disputes and applications for the entire province. There is no city-level tribunal.

• Provincial inquiries: 1-888-762-8600 (toll-free) or [email protected]
• Online portal: https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/family-home-community/housing-property/increase.html — rent increase rules, the online calculator, and application information
• Service New Brunswick offices: located in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton, and other regional centres

Free legal information is available through PLEIS-NB (Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick), though their resources focus primarily on tenant rights rather than landlord compliance workflows.

The Full Compliance Process

The process for raising rent is the same in every New Brunswick city: check eligibility, calculate within the cap, draft the notice, and serve it with proof. A standard tenancy review deadline is 60 days; for a mobile home site it is 15 days. The Rent Increases in New Brunswick guide walks through each step with timeline calculations and service log templates that work regardless of which municipality your property sits in.

See more New Brunswick guides →