NWT Rent Increase Notice Template: What to Include and How to Write It

If you have searched the GNWT Rental Office website for a "Notice of Rent Increase" form, you already know it does not exist. The government publishes tenancy agreement forms and dispute application forms, but no standard rent increase notice template. You have to write your own — and what you include determines whether it holds up.

The Required Elements

Section 47 requires written notice at least three months before the increase and does not prescribe a rent-increase form or list of required fields. For a clear notice, include:

1. The full address of the rental unit — civic address, building number, and unit number.
2. Names of all parties — every landlord (or property management company) and every tenant named on the tenancy agreement.
3. Current rent — the total monthly amount, ideally itemized if it includes separate charges for parking, storage, or other services.
4. Proposed new rent — the total new monthly amount.
5. Effective date — the exact date the new rent takes effect. The increase cannot take effect until three months have expired from the notice date; Section 47 does not require the date to align with the start of a rental payment period.
6. Rent history reference — the date of the last rent increase or, if the premises have never been rented, the date rent was first charged, to check the 12-month rule.
7. Section 47(4) reminder — the tenant may treat the rent-increase notice as a notice of termination by informing the landlord in writing. Section 47 gives the tenant this right but does not require a statement about it in the landlord's notice.
8. Signature and date — signed by the landlord or an authorized representative.

Common Drafting Mistakes

Omitting the termination right reminder. Section 47(4) gives the tenant the right to treat the notice as a termination notice, and the tenant must inform the landlord in writing. Including a reminder is useful, but the Act does not require that wording in the rent-increase notice.

Making the effective date unclear. State the exact date. Section 47 requires three months' notice but does not require the date to fall on a rent-period boundary.

Vague financial details. "Your rent is going up" is not a valid notice. The current amount, the new amount, and the effective date must all be explicit.

Failing to check the 12-month interval. Confirm the last effective increase date or, if the premises have never been rented, the date rent was first charged. Including that date in the notice can make your calculation clear, though the Act does not prescribe it as a notice field.

What a Solid Notice Looks Like

A clear notice reads something like a formal letter: address at the top, both parties identified, financial details spelled out, effective date clearly stated, the Section 47(4) right explained, and your signature at the bottom. No specific form or list of notice fields is prescribed by the RTA; the legal requirements are written notice and the timing rules in Section 47.

Beyond the Notice

Having the right words on paper is half the job. Serving it correctly is the other half — registered mail is deemed served on the seventh day after mailing, and email is deemed received three days after sending when the tenant provided an address for service. The Northwest Territories Rent Increase Guide includes a fillable notice template and service tracking log built for the NWT's specific requirements.

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