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 may be rented as a place to make a home.
A safe and healthy place for you to live should meet all the conditions in the Minimum Housing and Health Standards.
Rental housing should have a:
- place to prepare meals
- sink with hot and cold running water
- stove
- refrigerator
- counter or table
- place for storing food
A washroom must have a:
- hand sink with hot and cold running water
- bathtub or shower
- toilet
Kitchens and bathrooms may be shared, depending upon the type of housing premises.
There should be:
- 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
You should have:
- heat if it’s cold outside
- plumbing and sewage that works
- electricity
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 suite clean so that rodent or insect 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 (e.g., from bed bugs)
Landlords are expected to keep their buildings 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
If the repairs aren’t done, you can call Alberta Health Services for help. You will be asked:
- your name, phone number, and address
- the landlord’s name and phone number
- to describe the problem
Your name is not given to anyone after you call us. A Health Inspector/Environmental Health Officer will contact you to make an appointment for an inspection.
