When you rent a place to live in Alberta, you should expect it to be a safe and healthy home for you and your family.
Apartments, rooming houses, and townhouses are some examples of units that you can rent to make a home.
A safe and healthy place to live should meet all conditions in Alberta's Minimum Housing and Health Standards.
What basic things must rental housing have?
Rental housing must have:
- heat for when it's cold outside
- plumbing and sewage that works
- electricity
Rental housing must 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
- a window that opens or a fan for ventilation
Kitchens and bathrooms may be shared, depending on the type of housing.
What must rental housing have to keep me safe?
To keep you and your family safe, rental housing must 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
- fire sprinklers (in buildings with 3 or more storeys)
What are my responsibilities as a tenant (renter)?
Here are the things you should do as a responsible tenant:
- Report problems to the landlord right away.
- With proper notice, let in people the landlord sends to do repairs or pest control.
- 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 landlord must keep your rental housing safe 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 will need the following information:
- your name, phone number, and address
- the landlord’s name and phone number
- a description of the problem
A public health inspector may do an inspection of your rental housing and speak to your landlord about any problems they find.
Public health inspectors will not say you were the person who contacted them or tell anyone your name.
