Rent Control

‘Demoralizing’: Rent cap rises to 5% in N.S., putting tenants under further strain

Brigley is fortunate that his rent is well under market. The biggest issue, he said, is his building has “a severe lack of maintenance.”

It’s a new year, and there’s a new rent cap in Nova Scotia.

As of Jan. 1, the province raised allowable rent increases to five per cent, up from the two per cent cap that has been in place since 2020.

Jonethan Brigley, who lives in a multi-unit apartment building in Dartmouth, said he and his neighbours woke up to an unwelcome surprise on New Year’s Day: notice of a five-per-cent increase coming in June.

“It kind of soured my mood for the rest of the day,” he said. “It was very demoralizing.”

Brigley is fortunate that his rent is well under market, but the new change will still be a struggle. He has a full-time minimum-wage job and finds it difficult to keep up with the “ever-growing cost of groceries” and other essentials. …[Continue Reading]