NL Notice to Terminate Forms: RT-2018-00039 vs RT-2018-00040 Explained
Two Forms, Two Paths
Newfoundland and Labrador prescribes exactly two notice forms for landlord-initiated terminations under the Residential Tenancies Act, 2018. Using the wrong one — or using anything else — is enough for the Residential Tenancies Tribunal to throw out your case before it reaches the merits.
Form RT-2018-00039 — Landlord's Notice to Terminate (Standard). This is for standard, no-cause terminations under Section 18. Use it when you want the tenancy to end at the expiry of the required notice period without alleging any fault on the tenant's part. For an individual unit, property sales, personal use, renovation, and "I just don't want to continue" all use this form. Qualifying group terminations for demolition or extensive renovations follow Section 28's six-month rule.
Form RT-2018-00040 — Landlord's Notice to Terminate Early (Cause). This is for cause-based terminations: rent arrears (s. 19), material breach (s. 20), uninhabitable conditions (s. 21), property damage or cleanliness failures (s. 22), and interference with peaceful enjoyment (s. 24). The form includes checkboxes for each statutory ground.
Both are available as PDF downloads from the Residential Tenancies Office at gov.nl.ca/gs/landlord-tenant/.
What Must Be on Every Notice
The Act and prescribed form require these five details. A notice missing a required element can be invalid:
- Tenant's full legal name and civic address — including postal code. Not a nickname, not a unit number alone.
- Property identification — the exact address of the rental premises as it appears in the rental agreement.
- Statutory section — the specific section and subsection of the Act under which the notice is given. On the cause form (RT-2018-00040), this means checking the correct box.
- Move-out date — the date by which the tenant must vacate, calculated according to the applicable notice period.
- Landlord's signature — the physical or authorized signature of the landlord or their agent.
Common Form Errors
Using a generic template. Section 34 requires the prescribed form. A generic letter or template may not meet that requirement, so use the government form.
Citing the wrong section. A landlord who checks the Section 19 (rent arrears) box when the actual dispute is an unauthorized pet (Section 20 material breach) has served an invalid notice. The statutory section must match the factual ground.
Missing the postal code. The government form includes a postal-code field and requires all fields to be completed. Section 34 also requires the recipient's name and address.
Leaving the move-out date blank. Some landlords intend to "fill it in later" or let the tenant decide. The Act requires a specific date on the form at the time of service.
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Matching Your Situation to the Right Form
| Situation | Form | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Selling the property, moving back in, not renewing | RT-2018-00039 | 18 |
| Tenant hasn't paid rent (5+ days overdue) | RT-2018-00040 | 19 |
| Unauthorized pet, occupant, or sublet (after remedy notice) | RT-2018-00040 | 20 |
| Unit rendered uninhabitable by tenant's actions | RT-2018-00040 | 21 |
| Property damage or extreme uncleanliness (after failure to comply within 3 days or a reasonable time) | RT-2018-00040 | 22 |
| Noise, harassment, or interference with others' enjoyment | RT-2018-00040 | 24 |
The Ending a Tenancy in Newfoundland and Labrador guide includes a termination ground selector that matches your situation to the correct form and section, plus annotated walkthroughs of both forms with every Section 34 field accounted for.
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