NWT Eviction Process for Landlords: Rental Officer to Sheriff

You Cannot Evict a Tenant Yourself in the NWT

Physical eviction in the Northwest Territories is the exclusive authority of the Sheriff's Office. No landlord, property manager, or private bailiff can legally remove a tenant from a residential unit. The process runs through three institutions in sequence: the Rental Officer, the Supreme Court, and the Sheriff.

A landlord cannot regain possession unless the tenant has vacated or abandoned the premises or an eviction order authorizes it (s. 48(2)). Changing the locks without mutual consent and withholding vital services are prohibited by sections 25 and 33; harassment to force a tenant to leave is an offence under section 91(1)(c), carrying a fine of up to $2,000 on summary conviction.

Stage 1: Rental Officer Application and Hearing

Every eviction begins with an application to the NWT Rental Officer. The Rental Office sits within the Department of Justice in Yellowknife and has jurisdiction over all residential tenancy disputes territory-wide.

What to file:

• Completed Application to a Rental Officer — Landlord (the March 2026 form, available from the GNWT Justice portal)
• For a paper filing, three copies of the form and supporting evidence; the current form also allows secure-file submission
• $100 filing fee, payable to the Government of Northwest Territories

Timing constraint: Under section 68(1), you must generally file within six months after the breach or the situation referred to in the application arose. Under section 68(3), the Rental Officer may extend that time, even after it has expired, if the Rental Officer considers an extension not unfair.

After filing, the Rental Office returns application packages with further instructions. The landlord must serve the filed application package on the tenant and return the completed Proof of Service of Documents to the Rental Office no later than five business days before the hearing. The Rental Office reports that three-way teleconference is the default hearing method; in-person hearings are scheduled in limited cases. If the tenant fails to attend after proper service, the Rental Officer can proceed and decide in their absence under section 80(2).

The Rental Officer issues a written decision and order. This might terminate the tenancy immediately, set a conditional termination date, or order a payment schedule for rent arrears. The order is binding.

Stage 2: Supreme Court Registration

If the tenant does not comply with a termination order and refuses to vacate, the landlord must register the order with the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. There is no way to skip this step.

Filing package for the Supreme Court Registry (4903 49th Street, Yellowknife):

• Affidavit of Non-compliance with Eviction Order (sworn statement confirming the tenant did not leave)
• Exhibit A: certified copy of the Rental Officer's eviction order (obtained from the Rental Office)
• Exhibit B: certified copy of the Affidavit of Service of that order on the tenant
• Court backer cover page
• Completed Writ of Possession form

Critical deadline: The eviction order must be filed with the Supreme Court within six months after it takes effect. After six months, the order expires and cannot support a Writ of Possession. You would need to start over with a new Rental Officer application.

Stage 3: Sheriff Execution

Once the Clerk of the Supreme Court signs and seals the Writ of Possession, it transfers directly to the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff schedules the physical eviction, attends the property, removes non-compliant occupants, and hands vacant possession to the landlord.

The landlord pays the Sheriff's execution fees and any required deposit.

Appeals Do Not Automatically Pause Eviction

Under section 87, either party can appeal a Rental Officer's order to the Supreme Court. Filing an appeal does not itself stay the order, but section 86(1) allows filing it with the Clerk only after the appeal period has expired and no appeal has been made. Under section 88, a judge of the Supreme Court may order a stay.

How Long Does This Take?

There is no fixed statutory timeline for the hearing stage — it depends on the Rental Office's docket and the complexity of the dispute. In its 2024–25 annual report, the Rental Office said 59.8% of hearings were held within 60 days of filing. Supreme Court registration and Sheriff execution add further steps.

For the full procedure — every statutory ground, form reference, evidence checklist, and date calculation — see our NWT ending a tenancy guide.

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