Nova Scotia Rent Increase Notice Template: What to Include

There Is No Official Form for Standard Residential Units

This surprises most landlords: Nova Scotia does not prescribe a numbered form for standard residential rent increases. Form M — the one that appears when you search the government website — is for land-lease community (mobile home park) spaces only. Standard residential landlords who download and serve Form M on a regular apartment tenant are using the wrong document.

What the Residential Tenancies Act requires is a written notice that includes specific content. You can format it as a letter, but every required element must be present.

Required Content

Your written notice must state:

• The amount of the increase — the exact dollar figure being added to the current rent
• The effective date — when the new rent begins, which must satisfy both the four-month notice period and the 12-month frequency rule

Provincial guidance confirms that the increase amount and effective date are the required content. For clarity and evidentiary strength, also include the new rent total, the tenant's full name, the unit address, the current rent amount, your signature, and the date you issued the notice.

What Not to Include

Rent increases are governed by Section 11 of the Residential Tenancies Act. For periodic leases, the landlord must give written notice stating the amount and effective date. For a fixed-term lease, the lease must indicate the amount and effective dates of any increases. A rent increase cannot take effect more than once in a 12-month period.

Form M: When It Actually Applies

Form M is the official notice form for land-lease communities — manufactured home parks and mobile home park lot rentals. It carries a seven-month notice requirement (compared to four months for standard residential) and feeds into the AARIA regulatory framework. If you manage a standard apartment, house, or condo rental, Form M is not your form.

Formatting Tips

Keep the notice clean and factual. State the current rent, the increase amount, the new total, and the effective date. Date and sign it. Deliver it through a lawful service method — personal delivery, mailbox drop, registered mail, or email if both parties agreed in the lease or a signed addendum.

A sample notice might read:

Dear [Tenant Name], this is notice that the monthly rent for [Unit Address] will increase from $[current] to $[new total], an increase of $[amount], effective [date]. This notice is served on [today's date]. [Landlord signature]

The Nova Scotia Rent Increase Guide includes a ready-to-use notice drafting checklist with all required fields and guidance on service methods that create an enforceable audit trail.

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