New Brunswick (NB) eviction guide
Quick answer
Serve a Notice to Vacate giving 7 days to pay rent arrears, then a Final Notice to Vacate (minimum 15 days) if still unpaid, and file a Landlord Application for Assistance with the Residential Tenancies Tribunal (no application fee; $75 sheriff enforcement fee). Most uncontested evictions resolve within 3 to 5 weeks.
| Legal grounds | Nonpayment of rent, lease violations (nuisance, disturbance), illegal activity, substantial property damage, landlord personal use (with required notice) |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 7 days (first Notice to Vacate, nonpayment); then 15 days (Final Notice to Vacate, nonpayment) |
| Where to file | Residential Tenancies Tribunal (via Service New Brunswick / Tenant and Landlord Relations Office) |
| Filing fee | No application fee; $75 CAD sheriff enforcement fee payable after eviction order is issued |
| Typical timeframe | 3 to 6 weeks from first notice to enforcement |
First notice served when rent is unpaid; gives the tenant 7 days to pay all arrears or the landlord may proceed to the next step.
Served if the tenant fails to pay after the first Notice to Vacate; no payment option is offered and the tenant must vacate by the stated date.
Used for lease violations such as nuisance, disturbance, illegal activity, or property damage; the tenant must vacate by the termination date.
| Step | Timeframe | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Serve Notice to Vacate for nonpayment | Day 1 of arrears | Deliver a written Notice to Vacate to the tenant specifying the amount owed and the 7-day period to pay all rent arrears. |
| 2. Serve Final Notice to Vacate if unpaid | After 7-day cure period expires unpaid | If the tenant does not pay, serve the Final Notice to Vacate giving at least 15 days to vacate; no further payment option is available. |
| 3. File Landlord Application for Assistance | Day after the tenant's required move-out date | Submit the application to the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office by email, fax, mail, or at a Service New Brunswick service centre, attaching copies of all notices served. |
| 4. Residential Tenancies Officer investigation | Within days to a few weeks of filing | A Residential Tenancies Officer contacts the tenant, reviews evidence from both parties, and renders a decision on whether to issue an Eviction Order. |
| 5. Receive Eviction Order | After officer's decision | If an Eviction Order is issued, the Residential Tenancies Officer informs the landlord when the $75 sheriff enforcement fee is due and provides the remittance form. |
| 6. Sheriff enforces the Eviction Order | After $75 fee is paid | Only a sheriff acting under the Eviction Order may physically remove the tenant; self-help eviction is illegal and can expose the landlord to liability. |
There is no application fee to file a Landlord Application for Assistance with the Residential Tenancies Tribunal. A $75 CAD non-refundable sheriff enforcement fee is payable only after an Eviction Order is issued, when the landlord wishes to have a sheriff carry out the order.
Once a Residential Tenancies Officer issues an Eviction Order, the landlord pays the $75 CAD sheriff fee and a sheriff executes the removal. Only a Residential Tenancies Officer or a judge of the Court of King's Bench may authorize an eviction, and self-help eviction (such as changing locks without an order) is illegal in New Brunswick.
General information, not legal advice. Governing statute: The Residential Tenancies Act, SNB 1975, c R-10.2. Self-help eviction is illegal everywhere; always follow the court process.
New Brunswick eviction FAQ
Landlords first serve a **7-day** Notice to Vacate; if unpaid, they then serve a Final Notice to Vacate giving the tenant at least **15 more days** to vacate.
There is **no application fee** to file the Landlord Application for Assistance. A separate **$75 CAD** fee is charged only when the sheriff is asked to enforce the Eviction Order.
Uncontested evictions for nonpayment typically resolve in **3 to 5 weeks**; contested cases requiring a full officer investigation can extend to 6 weeks or longer.
Only a **sheriff** acting under an Eviction Order issued by a Residential Tenancies Officer or a Court of King's Bench judge can physically remove a tenant.
A tenant can present their case to the Residential Tenancies Officer after a Landlord Application is filed, but the Final Notice to Vacate offers **no payment cure option**.
Revun screens tenants, automates rent reminders, and logs every notice, so fewer tenancies ever reach court.
