Housing & Property

A guide to the rights of Albertans who are experiencing homelessness. Topics covered include: Charter Rights, The Police, Security Guards, Panhandling , Loitering, Camping on Private Property, Camping on Public Property, Voting, Using a Washroom and more. Thie guide also provides links to WHO CAN I CALL FOR MORE HELP OR INFORMATION?

The Alberta Residential Landlord Association brings together owners, operators and managers of residential rental properties. Working together, they promote professionalism, education and equity in all aspects of the Residential Rental Business for the benefit of industry members and tenants.

The Alberta Seniors and Community Supports department provides information about financial, health-related, and protective services for seniors. This webpage lists the contact information for regional offices. Or call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre Toll-free in Alberta: 1-877-644-9992, Monday to Friday 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Alberta’s continuing care system provides Albertans with the health, personal care and accommodation services they need to support their independence and quality of life. This website section from Alberta Health provides information about the three settings in which continuing care services are provided: Home living; Supportive living; and Facility living.

The mission of the Centre is to work with others to empower people to move from poverty to prosperity. They enable people to meet their own basic daily needs, participate in community, have sustainable livelihoods, feel hope for the future and make plans for a prosperous life. The Centre offers a variety of programs which include victims services and advocacy.

Calgary’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness was created by the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness, a community-based, multi-stakeholder, leadership group who issued the Plan and selected the Foundation to implement the Plan. On this website, find out about the progress of the 10 Year Plan, the research of the foundation, and information on homelessness and affordable housing in Calgary.

Calgary Outlink: Center for Gender & Sexual Diversity strives to create healthy communities and brighter futures for LGBTQ+ individuals. They provide a safe community space equipped with support services, education opportunities, a support line, and access to resources.

The Calgary Residential Rental Association provides a voice for the residential rental industry, and provides professional services and learning opportunities for members, including educational programs and resources.

CSRS Outreach Workers assist seniors with pensions and benefits, housing and home care support, or personal/family crisis. Other programs include Escorted Transportation, Assited Shopping and Friendly Visiting.

Information for condominium owners, landlords and tenants about cannabis restrictions in condos, apartments and rental homes.

This website is produced by the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA), an Ontario-based non profit human rights organization that has spent the past 20 years challenging the systemic barriers and discrimination that contribute to homelessness and housing insecurity. The goal of this website is to provide housing workers and advocates across Canada with information and tools to enable them to overcome – using a human rights framework – the barriers that keep people from accessing and retaining adequate housing.

Citizen Watch has been created as a public service for the people of Alberta. It is the work of an ever-widening network of individuals from across the province, including families and friends of long term care and assisted or supportive living residents and those requiring long term care supports in their own homes. The service will watch and to report to the public the results of any analysis of information they receive from recipients of continuing care services and their families indicating whether they are better or worse off for actions taken by the Alberta government on the province’s continuing care system.

Free legal information for Alberta consumers buying a condo, living in one, or considering selling or renting their condominium.

Resource guide produced by the Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE). Considered the industry standard for information resources related to older adults in greater Edmonton. It includes information about over 300+ services, agencies and businesses that serve the older adults of greater Edmonton.

Insurance-related information on floods, wildfires, voluntary sector, property insurance, complaints and preparing for emergencies.

If a rental property is foreclosed upon, the rights of the tenant and the rights of the landlord will be affected. This booklet from the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta answers frequently asked questions about the foreclosure process with a focus on the implications for tenants. This 8 page PDF is available for free download.

This booklet from the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta gives a general overview of what foreclosure is, what can happen during a foreclosure, and how foreclosure may affect both property owners and renters living in a property. This 8 page PDF is available for free download.

Going to court? Here are some tips and information on understanding your foreclosure matter. (Video) Produced in coordination with PBLA and Alberta Courts.

The Government of Alberta has many programs to help lower income Albertans. This guide can help find out what’s available. Programs are listed in seven groups:Work and Work Skills, Financial, Housing, Legal Assistance, Health Expenses, Families with Children, and People with Disabilities. For each program, you will find an outline of what it does and where to go for information.This guide is up-to-date as of March 2005.

The Homeless Hub is a web-based research library and information center where community services providers, researchers, government representatives, and the general public can access and share research, stories, and best practices associated with alleviating homelessness and housing instability.

From Employment and Social Development Canada, the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS) is a community-based program that relies on communities to determine their own needs and to develop appropriate projects. It encourages cooperation between governments, agencies, and community-based organizations to find local solutions for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The HPS recognizes that stable housing is a basic requirement for improving health, parenting, education, and employment.

This blog post clarifies the current law in terms of the human rights of residential tenants in Alberta, identifies concerns about a lack of effective protection of tenants’ human rights at the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service, and suggests that lawyers and advocates working in this area should ask questions to determine if discrimination is occurring and, if so, make their clients aware of their rights and how they can protect them.

This booklet is a publication of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. It provides general information on life leases.A life lease agreement occurs when a person buys the exclusive right to occupy a unit in a particular development for life, a fixed term or until the person can no longer live independently within the unit.

This tipsheet provindes information to help Albertans protect themselves from being an unwilling participant in mortgage fraud. If you are going to invest in real estate, make sure you are using a licensed mortgage broker is is registered under the Real Estate Act in Alberta.

Information for individuals and pension plan administrators from the Alberta Superintendent of Pensions and the Pension Policy Branch.

Pivot’s mandate is to use the law to address the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. Pivot carries out its work through legal campaigns around policing, housing, and sex work that would result in meaningful positive change for people living in poverty.

A glossary of terms that may be encountered when dealing in real estate.

Registry transactions include the issuing and renewing of drivers’ licences, registrations of birth, marriage and death, land title searches and transfers, and registrations of corporations, vehicles, and liens. The majority of these services are delivered on behalf of the Government of Alberta by registry agents located in communities throughout the province. This section of the Service Alberta website provides information on registries in the following categories: Charitable organizations; Corporate registry; Drivers/vehicles; Land titles; Personal property registry; Registry agents (find an agent) and Vital statistics. Many related forms can be downloaded and some services are now available online.

In Alberta, the Mobile Home Sites Tenancies Act applies to people who own a mobile home and rent the mobile home site from a landlord. This law sets out the rights and responsibilities that apply to these tenancies,

This publication provides general information about the MHSTA and the two supporting regulations.

This booklet produced by Student Legal Services at the University of Alberta looks at the rules and expectations of their landlord when living in a student residence. Student residences are housing options where the tenant is the student and the landlord is the student’s school. The Residential Tenancies Act does not apply to student residences UNLESS the residence unit is self-contained (dormitory style residences are not self-contained.

This online resource is from the Government of Alberta and includes information about: Renting; Buying; Building/Buying a New Home; Condominiums, Cooperatives and Mobile Homes; Real Estate Agents, Home Inspectors and Appraisers; Legal Resources; Home Insurance; Property Taxes; Utilities; Renovations and Repairs; Housing Supports – Aboriginal Peoples; Housing Supports – Immigrants and Non-Residents; Housing Supports – Low Income; Housing Supports – Persons with Disabilities; Housing Supports – Rural Residents; Housing Supports – Seniors; Housing Supports – Students; and Additional Resources.

Rights and responsibilities for landlords and tenants, and how to resolve disputes.

In August 2016, the Residential Tenancies (Safer Spaces for Victims of Domestic Violence) Amendment Act, Termination of Tenancy (Domestic Violence) Regulation, and amendments to the RTA Ministerial Regulation, were proclaimed. These changes to the RTA allow victims of domestic violence to end a tenancy early and without financial penalty. This legislation applies in cases where if the tenancy continues: •  The tenant’s safety is at risk; •  A dependant child’s safety is at risk; or •  A protected adult’s safety is at risk.

The Residential Tenancy Act is provided by the King’s Printer. (PDF – 55 pages)

This handbook explains the rights and responsibilities of all tenants, landlords, and agents involved in renting residential premises in Alberta under the Residential Tenancies Act and related regulations. It explains the minimum legislated requirements set out in the Act and provides landlords and tenants with options to deal with matters not established as minimum requirements.

The following topics are covered in the handbook: residential tenancy agreements; inspection reports; security deposits; other fees and charges; landlord’s distraint; rent increases; landlord’s right of entry; security; termination of tenancy; determination of normal wear and tear during residency; and abandoned goods.

In a rental agreement, both landlords and tenants have certain rights and obligations. In deciding whether a court application is appropriate, it is important to gain a good understanding of your obligations as well as the remedies available to you.

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) offers landlords and tenants an alternative means of resolving serious disputes outside of court. A tenant or a landlord who has concerns related to an eviction, unpaid rent/utilities, security deposit, damages, repairs or other common disagreements can use the service.

Find commonly used application forms, affidavits, notices and tip sheets for residential tenancy disputes in Alberta.

SAGE is a full service not-for-profit seniors’ organization whose mandate is to build and maintain a broad range of programs and services that enhance the quality of life for seniors and their families in the greater Edmonton area. With over 37 years of experience, SAGE is regarded as a major provider of innovative seniors’ services in the capital region.

Service Alberta’s divisions are committed to delivering high-quality business, financial, information and technology services to government ministries as well as a diverse range of services that touch the lives of Albertans. Divisions include: Consumer Information; Businesses and Charities;  Landlords & Tenants; Registries; Drivers and Vehicles; Land Titles; Vital Statistics; Information and Technology; and Government Buying and Selling.

Service Alberta investigates complaints from Albertans about consumer transactions, including landlord and tenant issues. The first step in the complaint process is to talk with an Information Officer at 780-427-4088 in Edmonton and toll free at 1-877-427-4088 throughout the rest of the province.

Both the City of Edmonton and City of Calgary have passed bylaws about the licencing of short-term rentals. The City of Edmonton’s bylaw about short-term rentals is already in effect. The City of Calgary’s bylaw about short-term rentals will come into effect on February 1, 2020.

This page provides information on short-term rentals in Edmonton only. Information about short-term rentals in Calgary will be added to this page. If you have a question about short-term rentals outside of Edmonton, contact your local municipality.

Each year, UNICEF’s flagship publication, The State of the World’s Children, closely examines a key issue affecting children. The report includes supporting data and statistics and is available in French and Spanish language versions.

This service of the Kerby Centre for the 55 Plus in Calgary focuses on providing answers and solving problems. Information is available on topics such as pensions, legal issues, government services, grants, home help, consumer affairs, transportation, congratulatory messages, and much more.

The UCA represents Alberta small consumers by acting as the voice of consumers during regulatory proceedings to ensure the lowest regulated rates consistent with reasonable service, and by providing consumers with the information they need to make informed choices about how to purchase electricity and natural gas, based on their individual circumstances. When consumers have exhausted known avenues of issue resolution, the UCA will investigate and mediate concerns with utility companies.

This is a guide on how to buy products and services in Alberta and contains information about your consumer rights. You will need to buy certain items and you will need to use certain services as you settle into as you start your new life in Alberta.

These “How old do I have to be?” FAQs are provided by the Canadian Legal FAQs, a website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta. They provide answers for youth about age-related issues under various topics: family, criminal, medical and health related, legal and financial, activities (such as driving), school and work.