NWT Landlord Notice to Terminate Tenancy: Periods, Rules and Forms

Most NWT Landlords Cannot Issue a Notice to Terminate

This catches many landlords off guard. Under the Residential Tenancies Act (RSNWT 1988, c. R-5), a landlord whose rental premises is not their only residence in the Northwest Territories has no statutory right to end a periodic tenancy by written notice alone. There is no general 30-day or 60-day no-fault notice available.

For cause-based terminations — rent arrears, property damage, personal use, demolition — the route is an application to the Rental Officer, not a written notice.

Written notice to terminate is restricted to two narrow situations.

The Single-Residence Exemption

If the rental premises is your only residence in the territory, sections 51 and 52 of the Act allow you to terminate with written notice:

Monthly tenancy (s. 52(2)): 90 days' notice, effective on the last day of a rental period.

Fixed-term tenancy (s. 51(2)): 30 days' notice before the end date of the fixed term.

These exemptions exist because you are reclaiming your own home, not operating a rental business.

Subsidized Housing Notices

Landlords of subsidized public housing have separate notice powers:

Monthly tenancy (s. 51(5)): 30 days' notice before the last day of a tenancy period.

Fixed-term tenancy over 31 days (s. 51(3)): 30 days' notice before the expiration date.

Date Calculation Rules

Notice periods use clear days — neither the day you serve the notice nor the termination date counts. And for periodic tenancies, the termination date must fall on the last day of a rental period.

Example: Your monthly tenant pays rent on the 1st. You serve a 90-day notice on 31 May 2026. Excluding the service date and termination date, the clear days are June 1–30 (30), July (31), and August 1–30 (30), for 91 clear days before 31 August. This is the first month-end with at least 90 clear days.

What if you serve on 2 June instead? Ninety clear days from 2 June cannot reach 31 August. The termination date shifts to 30 September 2026 — the next rent-period end. One day's delay costs a full extra month.

Fixed-Term Leases Do Not Automatically Require Vacancy

A fixed-term tenancy ending on a specified date automatically renews as a monthly tenancy under section 49 unless it has been terminated under the Act, the parties have entered into a new agreement, or the premises are employment accommodation. If a tenancy has been terminated and the former tenant remains, section 67 entitles the landlord to compensation for use and occupation. A landlord still needs an eviction order to regain possession if the former tenant does not leave (sections 48(2) and 63).

What Happens After the Notice Expires

If the tenant does not leave after a valid notice under the single-residence or subsidized public housing provisions, you cannot remove them yourself. The next step is an application to the Rental Officer for an eviction order.

For the complete notice-period tables, date calculation worksheets, and the full post-notice enforcement pathway, see our NWT ending a tenancy guide.

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