New Brunswick Month-to-Month and Week-to-Week Rent Increase Rules

The Same Rules Apply Regardless of Lease Type

New Brunswick does not differentiate between lease structures when it comes to rent increases. Under N.B. Reg. 82-218 Section 11.1, the mandatory six-month written notice period applies to month-to-month, week-to-week, year-to-year, and fixed-term tenancies alike.

This surprises many landlords. In other Canadian provinces, shorter periodic tenancies sometimes carry shorter notice windows. Not in New Brunswick — six full calendar months is the floor for everyone.

Month-to-Month Tenancies

Most residential tenancies in New Brunswick eventually become month-to-month arrangements, either because they started that way or because a fixed-term lease expired and the tenant stayed on. The rent increase rules for these tenancies are straightforward:

• 3% cap: the maximum annual increase without prior approval from a Residential Tenancies Officer (in effect through December 31, 2027)
• 12-month default 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
• 6-month notice: served as a standalone separate document, not attached to any other notice or receipt
• Written notice content: tenant name, address, current rent, proposed new rent, effective date, and landlord signature

For a notice period expressed in months, the Act treats it as sufficiently served on the first day of the first month in the notice period. If you hand-deliver a notice on March 15, the first month is April, making October 1 the earliest effective date.

Week-to-Week Tenancies

Week-to-week leases are less common but they exist, particularly in rooming houses. The 3% cap and six-month rent increase notice apply; the default frequency limit is subject to a written agreement between the landlord and tenant.

There is no shortened notice period for weekly tenancies when it comes to rent increases. The only place the weekly cycle matters is if a tenant wants to terminate after receiving a rent increase notice — in that case, they need only give one full week's notice instead of one full month.

How the Deemed-3% Mechanism Protects You

If you accidentally serve a notice proposing more than 3% without prior officer approval, the notice is not automatically void. Under Section 11.12 of the Residential Tenancies Act, the notice is legally deemed to be a 3% increase. The tenant pays the capped amount on the effective date, and the excess portion is unenforceable.

This statutory saving mechanism was introduced with the 2024 amendments. Before it existed, an over-cap notice was completely void, forcing the landlord to start the entire six-month notice cycle from scratch.

Termination Rights After a Rent Increase Notice

A month-to-month tenant who receives a rent increase notice can choose to leave rather than pay the higher amount. They must give at least one full month's written notice before the increase takes effect. For a week-to-week tenant, the minimum is one full week's notice.

In both cases, the tenancy terminates on the last day before the rent increase would have taken effect.

Getting the Timeline Right

The New Brunswick rent increase calculator walks through exact effective-date calculations for different service dates. For the complete compliance process from eligibility check through proof of service, the Rent Increases in New Brunswick guide covers every step with dated worksheets.

See more New Brunswick guides →