When you rent a place to live in Alberta you should expect that it will be a place where you and your family can make a safe and healthy home.
Apartments, rooming houses, and townhouses are some examples of units that you can rent to make a home.
A safe and healthy place for you to live should meet all the conditions in Alberta's Minimum Housing and Health Standards.
What basic things should rental housing have?
Rental housing should have:
- heat if it's cold outside
- plumbing and sewage that works
- electricity
Rental housing should also include things like a:
- place to prepare meals
- sink with hot and cold running water
- stove
- refrigerator
- counter or table
- place for storing food
A washroom in rental housing must have a:
- hand sink with hot and cold running water
- bathtub or shower
- toilet
Kitchens and bathrooms may be shared, depending on the type of housing.
What should rental housing have to keep me safe?
To keep you and your family safe, rental housing should have:
- smoke alarms that work
- a bedroom window that can be used as a fire escape (in buildings 3 storeys or less)
- doors and windows that can be locked securely
What are my responsibilities as a tentant (renter)?
As a responsible tenant you should:
- report problems to the landlord right away
- let in people the landlord sends to do repairs
- throw garbage out often and into approved cans or dumpsters
- keep your rental housing clean so pests (such as mice and cockroaches) don’t have a place to hide and multiply
- make sure items you bring into your home are pest-free, such as from bed bugs
What do I do if there’s a problem with my rental housing?
Your landlords must keep your rental housing clean and in good repair.
If something is broken or not working:
- call and ask your landlord to fix it
- give enough time for the repairs to be done
What if I've reported a problem but it hasn't been fixed?
If the repairs aren’t done, you can contact Alberta Health Services
Environmental Public Health for help. They'll ask you:
- your name, phone number, and address
- the landlord’s name and phone number
- to describe the problem
AHS won't give your name to anyone after you call. A health inspector or environmental health officer will contact you to inspect your rental housing.
