Dalhousie Legal Aid Service

08/19/2026

🏘️ Housing in the News: “Halifax remains a top interest among renters, but is that a positive sign?”

A new report from RentCafe ranks Halifax sixth in Canada for renter interest. At first glance, that might sound like good news. But high renter interest doesn't necessarily mean people are happy with Halifax's rental market.

From the report: "[T]he fundamentals remain the tightest in Canada: Halifax has the country’s lowest vacancy rate (2.4%), its highest in-place rent growth (up 5.7% from the prior year) and its strongest new lease rent growth (2.5%) per Yardi data. Aside from locals, the most interest in apartments in Halifax comes from renters in Toronto; Montréal; and Bedford, NS. "

So why are so many people looking for apartments?

As Brenydn Creamer at The Coast points out, people looking at rental listings aren't necessarily choosing to move - they may be looking because they have to. Maybe their rent has gone up. Maybe their landlord is evicting them on a fixed-term lease. Maybe their building is being sold or demolished. Maybe their current home is in disrepair. Or maybe they simply can't afford the unit they're already living in anymore.

The numbers make this especially concerning. The average rent for new listings in Halifax is now around $2,095 for a one-bedroom and $2,463 for a two-bedroom.

And Halifax renters are dealing with a rental system that gives landlords significant power to create turnover. Fixed-term leases can be used to end tenancies without cause and allow landlords to reset rents above the provincial rent cap when a new tenant moves in.

So high renter interest isn't necessarily a sign that Halifax is a desirable rental market. It may be a sign that a lot of people are desperately looking for somewhere else to live. If people were secure and affordable in their current homes, they wouldn't need to spend their time scrolling through hundreds of listings.

We shouldn't measure the health of Halifax's housing market by how many people are looking for apartments. We should ask whether people can actually afford the homes they're already in, and whether they can count on being able to stay there.

📰 You can read more in The Coast

08/18/2026

🚨 Heads up!

Our Social Justice Drop-Ins are CLOSED until September 1st for reorganizing. We'll be back in September with more resources and flexibility for people seeking help.

Until then, if you have a question about your rental you can consult the Tenants' Rights Guide for more information: https://www.tenantsrightsguide.ca/

As always, if you are in an emergency situation (i.e., you are being illegally evicted, utility shut-off, etc.) you can still contact our clinic at 902-423-8105 to speak to our front desk.

08/14/2026

Template Request to Reclassify Accommodation Type. Folks sleeping in tents, cars, camping trailers, and other types of owned accommodations can now apply for a higher income assistance rate. Call your caseworker to qualify and/or fill out the attached request form.

08/12/2026

🚨 Dal Legal Aid is out today talking to people living in designated encampment sites across the city, helping them to apply for the "Owners" rate of Income Assistance!

We've been talking to people like Phyllis - who has been fighting for affordable housing and the rights of people living in encampments for years. Phyllis was told she didn't qualify as someone who "owned their accommodation" because she lives in an encampment site.

But now - according to the recent Court of Appeal decision - people who own their own accommodation shouldn't be getting the $410/month that ESIA gives to people who are homeless, and instead should be getting the rate that renters and owners receive - $738/month.

📲 Dal Legal Aid can help you apply for this higher rate! Reach out to us here - or by calling our office at 902-423-8105. Especially if you live outside the HRM!

Thank you to people like Phyllis for speaking up! And thank you to the dozens of people who talked to us today and signed up.

08/07/2026

🏘️ Housing in the News: "Nova Scotia renters, landlords face 3-month wait to resolve tenancy disputes"

People going through the Residential Tenancies Program are now being told they may have to wait 11 to 13 weeks for a hearing, about double the normal wait time.

The province says the delays are being caused by a shortage of tenancy officers. Typically, there are about 12 officers who hear 3500 cases each year, there is currently 9. Although one new officer has recently been hired, Service Nova Scotia says it has no plans to permanently increase the number of officers hearing cases.
For tenants, these delays can mean spending months dealing with serious repair issues, illegal rent increases, or an eviction before they ever get in front of a decision-maker.

Tammy Wohler, a lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, told CBC she has never seen delays this long in the 10 years she's been doing this work. She also pointed out that tenancy officers are already starting hearings early in the morning and working late to try to keep up.

This isn't a problem that can be solved by asking staff to work even harder. The Residential Tenancies Program needs enough officers to hear cases within a reasonable timeframe and keep their jobs sustainable long-term.

📰 You can read more on the CBC's website.

08/06/2026

Congrats to the team from Pink Larkin on their recent victory in the Lowe Estate v. Nova Scotia (Department of Opportunities and Social Development) case 👏👏👏

The recent decision in Lowe Estate v. Nova Scotia (Department of Opportunities and Social Development), 2026 NSCA 61, is a significant one. In finding for the appellant, a person living in his tent, and who had sought assistance on the basis that it met the requirements of being ‘accommodation’, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal provided important guidance on the application of the reasonableness standard and the interpretation of section 49 of the Employment Support and Income Assistance Regulations, with implications for future requests and eligibility for Enhanced Rate assistance.

Pink Larkin lawyers Vince Calderhead and George Franklin were proud to represent the appellant, the Estate of Bradley Lowe, on a pro bono basis throughout these proceedings.

08/05/2026

🚨 The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal published a decision today, ruling that people sleeping in tents own their shelter, and are eligible to get the Standard Household Income Assistance rate.

In 2023, Bradley Lowe was denied this Income Assistance rate because he lived in a tent, which the Department didn’t consider an owned “accommodation”. Because of this, he only got ~$380/month to live on - what the Department usually gives to people who are sleeping rough or in shelters.

He brought his case all the way to Nova Scotia's highest court, and even though he passed away suddenly and tragically in December 2023 -- his family continued his fight.

The Court of Appeal found that Income Assistance and the Appeal Board incorrectly decided that “accommodation” means a “home” - and the decision to deny Mr. Lowe the higher Assistance rate because he lived in a tent was incorrect, unreasonable, and not in-line with the purpose of the Income Assistance program, which is to "provide for the assistance of persons in need".

▶ NOW: Because of Bradley's fight, people who own tents as their accommodation could be eligible to get the same amount of Income Assistance each month as renters or homeowners - about $738/month. Even though Assistance rates are still well below the poverty line, this means that people sleeping rough would have a little more in their pocket to buy essentials to stay warm, fed, and safe.

This is a historic victory for people sleeping rough, and a decision that has the potential change many people’s lives. Many were involved in this, including Pink Larkin lawyers Vincent Calderhead and George Franklin - as well as Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland NS - but thank you especially to Bradley Lowe who began it all, and his family for picking up the torch.

📄 You can read the full Lowe decision here: https://decisia.lexum.com/nsc/nsca/en/item/523858/index.do

08/05/2026

🚨 The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal published a decision today, ruling that people sleeping in tents own their shelter, and are eligible to get the Standard Household Income Assistance rate.

In 2023, Bradley Lowe was denied this Income Assistance rate because he lived in a tent, which the Department didn’t consider an owned “accommodation”. Because of this, he only got ~$380/month to live on - what the Department usually gives to people who are sleeping rough or in shelters.

He brought his case all the way to Nova Scotia's highest court, and even though he passed away suddenly and tragically in December 2023 -- his family continued his fight.

The Court of Appeal found that Income Assistance and the Appeal Board incorrectly decided that “accommodation” means a “home” - and the decision to deny Mr. Lowe the higher Assistance rate because he lived in a tent was incorrect, unreasonable, and not in-line with the purpose of the Income Assistance program, which is to "provide for the assistance of persons in need".

▶ NOW: Because of Bradley's fight, people who own tents as their accommodation could be eligible to get the same amount of Income Assistance each month as renters or homeowners - about $738/month. Even though Assistance rates are still well below the poverty line, this means that people sleeping rough would have a little more in their pocket to buy essentials to stay warm, fed, and safe.

This is a historic victory for people sleeping rough, and a decision that has the potential change many people’s lives. Many were involved in this, including lawyers Vincent Calderhead and George Franklin - as well as - but thank you especially to Bradley Lowe who began it all, and his family for picking up the torch.

📄 You can read the full Lowe decision here: https://decisia.lexum.com/nsc/nsca/en/item/523858/index.do
📰 And you can read the Chronicle Herald article with a full tribute to Bradley here: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/homeless-man-who-overdosed-in-parade-square-liked-helping-others-he-just-had-a-big-heart-100923115

08/04/2026

📣 Three former tenants of Park Victoria have come forward after a fire at the building to share concerns about the conditions they experienced while renting through Harrington Housing, a Toronto-based "co-living" company that leases apartments from building owners and then re-rents individual rooms to tenants.

The tenants say apartments advertised as four-bedroom units had living rooms converted into makeshift bedrooms using plastic partitions and accordion doors.

They also described overcrowding, pest infestations, unlawful fees, and concerns that these makeshift sleeping rooms may not have met fire safety standards. Fire safety concerns had been raised before the July 25 fire. Complaints were made to municipal building standards in May 2026 and to Halifax Fire in June.

This week, CBC News and the Chronicle Herald covered their stories, along with Dalhousie Legal Aid's call for stronger oversight of rental housing and better enforcement of health and safety standards. Now, according to CAPREIT, the landlord at South Park Street, they no longer have leases with Harrington Housing.

Swipe through for a summary of the coverage, photos, and some of the details from our original press release that didn't make every story.

Thank you to Max Gallo-Will, Jeonghyeon Lee, and "Peter" for speaking publicly about their experiences to protect other tenants ✊

07/28/2026

🚨 Our Tenants' Rights Guide has a new look!

After some scheduled maintenance, our Tenants' Rights Guide is back with an updated homepage, new tools, and even more information to help tenants understand and enforce their rights.

✨ New features include:
- An Eviction Navigator to help you quickly understand different types of evictions and your options.
- A guide to going to Residential Tenancies, including how to gather and organize evidence for your hearing.
- A new Tenant Organizing resource page with information on collective action and what you can do when the law alone isn't enough to protect your rights.

We've also added new articles, updated information throughout the guide, and made it easier to find what you're looking for.

Whether you're dealing with repairs, rent increases, eviction, or just want to know your rights, our guide is here to help.

Check out the new homepage and explore the new resources!