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Housing & Homelessness

Rental housing platforms

Here's what the 2024 Nova Scotia election parties are promising.
We don't have any PC policies on Rental housing.

Liberal

  • Set the rental cap based on inflation, market conditions, and vacancy rates on a regional basis until there is a 3% vacancy rate

    "Current rent protections are hurting those they’re supposed to help. Right now, Tim Houston can change the rent cap on a whim—and that’s bad for everyone. We will implement a fairer system where the cap is based on inflation, market conditions, and vacancy rates on a regional basis until adequate housing supply is reached and there is a healthy vacancy rate of 3%. This will provide much needed consistency, stability, and predictability to our rental market." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

  • Establish a Rent Bank to provide quick turnaround, zero-interest loans to renters who need to make rent

    "Everyone experiences emergencies—and that shouldn’t cause you to worry about losing your home. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will establish a Rent Bank, a low-cost, high-value program that can provide quick turnaround, zero- interest loans to renters that find themselves stuck." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

  • Ban landlords from offering fixed-term leases longer than one year

    "We will end fixed-term lease abuse by ensuring that landlords cannot offer tenants fixed term leases longer than one year. Extensions beyond the fixed term would automatically transition the lease to month-to-month." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

  • Lower the income cut-off for the rental supplement, so that residents spending over 30% of their monthly income on rent can receive it

    "The Rental Supplement provides support to low-income Nova Scotians who pay more than 40% of their income on rent. In 2023, Tim Houston’s government raised the cut-off from the 30% it was under the previous Liberal government to 50%, before lowering it back to 40% earlier this year. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will lower the cut- off back to 30%." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

  • Establish a Residential Tenancies Unit to deal with egregious and time-sensitive disputes

    "Despite recommendations to establish a Residential Tenancies Enforcement Unit to deal with especially egregious and time-sensitive disputes—and support from both landlords and tenants to do so—Tim Houston’s government decided not to implement one, and tried to mislead Nova Scotians about it. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will implement a Residential Tenancies Enforcement Unit." — Better Deal for Nova Scotians, retrieved 2024-11-09

NDP

  • Set allowed rate increases under rent control at 2.5%, down from 5%
  • Close the loophole of fixed-term leases

    "We'll also close the Houston fixed-term lease loophole that has allowed landlords to exploit Nova Scotia's tight rental market and charge double-digit rent increases." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

  • Provide $900 housing rebates for low-income renters and homeowners

    "Providing $900 housing rebates for low-income renters and homeowners by bringing in a new rent and mortgage tax rebate for low- and middle-income households. The Affordable Homes Rebate will help hundreds of thousands of renters and homeowners by providing an average annual rebate of $900 when their household incomes are under $70,000 a year - so it will benefit approximately half of all Nova Scotia households." — Leadership You Can Believe In, retrieved 2024-11-16

  • Reverse the loosening of eviction rules
  • Set eviction and renoviction protection
  • Create a new Residential Tenancy Enforcement Unit
  • Lower the income cut-off for the rental supplement, so that residents spending over 30% of their monthly income on rent can receive it

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2024 Nova Scotia election platform comparison