Tenancy agreements

Landlords and tenants must sign a written tenancy agreement, and a copy must be given to the tenant before they move into a rental property.

Every tenancy agreement must be in writing and signed by both the landlord and the tenant. You must give your tenant a copy of the agreement before the tenancy begins.

Even if you don’t put your agreement in writing, the Residential Tenancies Act applies. This means you and your tenant can’t avoid your obligations under the law by refusing to have a written tenancy agreement.

There are minimum content requirements for tenancy agreements. You can’t add just any conditions you like to the agreement. All conditions added must comply with the law.