Nova Scotia has an official lease: Form P
Unlike provinces where any lawful lease will do, Nova Scotia has created a Standard Form of Lease, known as Form P, and the government's Renting Guide says it must be used. If there is no written lease at all, the Standard Form applies and the tenancy defaults to month-to-month. Landlords must also give each tenant a signed copy of the lease along with a copy of the Residential Tenancies Act (a paper copy, electronic copy or web address is fine) within 10 days of signing or moving in.
That shapes how this page works. The document you generate here is a supplementary agreement and worksheet. It gathers rent, utilities, pets, parking and house rules in plain language so the Form P conversation is quick. It cannot replace Form P and cannot take away any duty under the Act or the Standard Form. You can download Form P from the Government of Nova Scotia at novascotia.ca or pick it up at an Access Nova Scotia centre.
How to use this Nova Scotia lease generator
- Name the parties. Add every landlord and tenant. Everyone named as a tenant is equally responsible for the rent.
- Describe the unit. Enter the address, whether it is a Halifax apartment or a house in the Annapolis Valley.
- Pick the tenancy type. Fixed term, month-to-month or year-to-year.
- Set the rent and deposit. The preview updates live as you type.
- Add the practical rules. Utilities, pets, smoking, parking and tenant insurance.
- Download the PDF. Then complete and sign two copies of Form P.
Your answers never leave your device. They are autosaved in your browser only so you can return to finish.
Security deposits and pet deposits
A Nova Scotia landlord may ask for a security deposit of up to one-half of one month's rent, and it must be held in a trust account that stays with the property if the landlord changes. Landlords cannot charge an extra pet deposit, and they cannot charge an application fee; money taken before the lease is signed or before rent is due counts as a security deposit. At the end of the tenancy the deposit and any interest due must be returned within 10 days, unless the tenant agrees in writing to the landlord keeping some or all of it. A landlord who wants to keep money without that consent has 10 days after the tenancy ends to file a claim, using Form R or Form J. Tenants who are not paid back can apply with Form S.
The rent cap and notice of increase
Nova Scotia limits rent increases for existing tenants. The province's rent cap fact sheet says the 5% cap is in place until December 31, 2027, and that a landlord may increase rent only once in a 12-month period, regardless of lease type. The increase must be in writing and state the amount and the date. Under the Renting Guide the landlord must give four months' notice for year-to-year and month-to-month leases and eight weeks' notice for week-to-week leases. In a fixed-term lease, every increase and its date must be written into the lease when it is signed. Government rules change from time to time, so check novascotia.ca before you set a new figure.
Entry, subletting and ending a lease
A landlord can enter only in an emergency or after giving 24 hours' written notice for entry during daylight hours. Locks can be changed only if both sides agree. Tenants who want to sublet need the landlord's permission, which cannot be unreasonably refused, and a subtenant cannot be charged more than the rent being paid to the landlord.
To end a lease, tenants give Form C: three full months before the anniversary date for year-to-year, one full month for month-to-month and one full week for week-to-week. If rent is three days late, a landlord can serve a Form D notice, and the tenant then has 10 days to pay, dispute it or leave. These are summaries, so read the current guides before acting.
A note on our approach
We built this tool because many Nova Scotians sign a quick, informal agreement and only later learn the province's rules override it. Use our output as a clear record of what was promised, and use Form P as the legal backbone. For disputes, contact the Residential Tenancies Program at 1-800-670-4357.