New Brunswick Rent Control Law Changes: 2022 to 2027 Timeline
Five Years of Rapid Change
New Brunswick's approach to rent regulation has shifted more in the past five years than in the previous four decades. Landlords who learned the rules in 2021 are now operating under a fundamentally different framework. Here is the timeline.
2022: The Emergency Cap (3.8%)
In response to a province-wide rental affordability crisis, the legislature passed An Act to Amend The Residential Tenancies Act (S.N.B. 2022, c. 17), imposing a temporary 3.8% cap on all residential rent increases. The cap was retroactive, covering all active tenancies, and was designed as a one-year emergency measure.
It expired on December 31, 2022.
2023: Structural Reforms (No Percentage Cap)
The 2023 amendments (S.N.B. 2023, c. 27), effective June 16, 2023, took a different approach. Rather than imposing a percentage ceiling, the legislature overhauled the procedural framework:
- Six-month notice period replaced the previous shorter windows — this was the single biggest change for landlords who had been giving 30 or 90 days' notice
- Separate document mandate — the rent increase notice must stand alone, not be combined with a lease renewal or any other document
- Default 12-month frequency limit — unless the landlord and tenant agree otherwise in writing, no increase in the first consecutive 12-month period of the tenancy agreement and no more than one increase in any other consecutive 12-month period
- Expanded officer review powers — Residential Tenancies Officers gained clearer authority to set aside defective notices
Between January 2023 and January 2025, there was no percentage cap. Landlords could increase rent by any amount, provided they followed the new procedural rules. The six-month notice period was the practical constraint — a large increase gave tenants time to decide whether to stay or leave.
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2025: The Statutory 3% Cap Returns
Bill 3 (An Act to Amend The Residential Tenancies Act, S.N.B. 2024, c. 29) brought back a percentage ceiling, this time as a structural part of the Act rather than a temporary emergency measure. Key provisions effective February 1, 2025:
- 3.0% annual cap on rent increases during an ongoing tenancy
- Deemed-3% mechanism — a notice proposing more than 3% without prior approval is not void but is automatically scaled back to 3%
- Above-cap application route — landlords can apply to a Residential Tenancies Officer for increases up to 9% based on documented capital renovation expenditures
- Annual review — the New Brunswick Housing Corporation evaluates the cap rate each year by June 1
The 2023 procedural reforms remained intact. The 2025 changes added the percentage cap on top of the existing notice, timing, and documentation requirements.
2026–2027: Extension Confirmed
On June 24, 2026, the government confirmed the 3% cap will remain for the 2027 calendar year. The current Act does not include a December 31, 2027 sunset date. The rate or other changes after 2027 have not yet been announced.
What This Means for Landlords Today
The current framework combines the 2023 structural reforms with the 2025 percentage cap. As a landlord, you are subject to all of it:
| Rule | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 3% annual cap | Bill 3 (2024, c. 29) | Government maintained the rate for calendar year 2027; current Act has no Dec 31, 2027 sunset |
| 6-month notice period | 2023, c. 27 | Permanent (not tied to cap sunset) |
| Separate document mandate | 2023, c. 27 | Permanent |
| 12-month frequency limit | 2023, c. 27 | Default rule; parties may agree otherwise in writing |
| Above-cap route (to 9%) | Bill 3 (2024, c. 29) | Current Act and regulation have no Dec 31, 2027 sunset |
| Deemed-3% mechanism | Bill 3 (2024, c. 29) | Current Act has no Dec 31, 2027 sunset |
The 6-month notice, separate document, and default 12-month frequency rules are separate from the annual cap review. The Act does not provide for the percentage cap to expire automatically after 2027.
Staying Current
Outdated advice is the biggest risk for landlords navigating this rapidly-changing landscape. The Rent Increases in New Brunswick guide is dated to the current statutory framework (rules as at October 2026) and distinguishes the announced 2027 rate from any future changes.
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