How to Serve a Rent Increase Notice in Saskatchewan: Methods, Deemed Dates, and Proof
A rent increase notice that is deemed received later than expected can make the proposed effective date too early. Section 54(4) moves a non-compliant effective date to the earliest date that complies. Saskatchewan's service rules under Section 82 treat different delivery methods differently, and the statutory notice period is measured from deemed receipt.
Permitted Service Methods
| Method | Deemed received | What to keep as proof |
|---|---|---|
| Personal delivery | On the day of hand delivery | Record the date and keep an acknowledgement if available |
| Door posting + ordinary mail | 3rd business day after mailing, unless recipient establishes later or non-receipt through no fault of their own | Photo of posted notice + Canada Post receipt showing mailing date |
| Door posting + electronic service | Business day after transmission, unless recipient establishes later or non-receipt through no fault of their own | Proof of posting + electronic transmission record |
How Business Days Work
Under Section 2(a.1) of the RTA, a "business day" excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. When counting the 3-business-day deemed-receipt buffer for ordinary mail:
- The mailing date is Day 0 — it doesn't count
- Count forward through the next three business days, skipping weekends and holidays
- The tenant is deemed to have received the notice at the end of Day 3
- The 12-month (or 6-month) notice countdown starts on Day 4
Example: You post the notice on the tenant's door and mail it on Friday, March 6. Day 0 is Friday. Day 1 is Monday, March 9. Day 2 is Tuesday, March 10. Day 3 is Wednesday, March 11 — the deemed service date. The 12-month notice period is measured from that date.
If there's a holiday in those three days, it gets skipped just like a weekend day, and the deemed date shifts one day later.
Electronic Service
Electronic service to a current tenant must be combined with posting the notice on the unit's front door. It is generally deemed received on the business day after transmission.
The notice must be provided in the same or substantially the same form as the written notice, be accessible to the tenant, and be capable of being retained for later reference.
If the tenant establishes that, through no fault of their own, they did not receive it or received it later, the deemed-service date changes accordingly.
Free Download
Get the Saskatchewan Rent Increase Checklist
Everything in this article as a printable checklist — plus action plans and reference guides you can start using today.
Text Messages
A text sent alone is not one of the service methods listed for a current tenant. A hearing officer may nevertheless order non-compliant service sufficient if the notice came to the tenant's attention.
The Certificate of Service
When you submit an application to the ORT, proof of service of any notice is required. Record the date and method of serving the rent increase notice and keep the supporting evidence.
If a claimant later serves a hearing notice and supporting documents on the other party, the ORT requires a Certificate of Service and a copy of the completed hearing notice to be submitted before the hearing.
Keep supporting evidence such as a Canada Post receipt showing the mailing date, a photo of the posted notice, or an electronic transmission record.
Dual Service for Extra Protection
Door posting must be combined with ordinary mail or electronic service. A landlord who wants a backup to personal delivery can also use one of those combined methods and keep proof of each.
Our Saskatchewan Rent Increase Guide includes a deemed-service calculator and a service-proof log template so you can document each step at the time of delivery.
Get Your Free Saskatchewan Rent Increase Checklist
Download the Saskatchewan Rent Increase Checklist — a printable guide with checklists, scripts, and action plans you can start using today.