Nova Scotia tenants and landlords will benefit from changes to the Residential Tenancies Act that protect the rights of both parties and improve the process to resolve disputes.

The changes take effect Thursday, Nov. 15.

"This act affects thousands of Nova Scotians who rent and landlords," said Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell. "The new act was updated to reflect changes in today's rental market and to ensure the rights of both tenants and landlords are protected."

Changes include:

automatic lease renewal

improving the process to deal with unpaid rent

a simpler process for rent adjustments in land-lease communities (formerly mobile home parks)

tenants on fixed-term leases can end their leases early, without financial penalty, for health reasons

be able to award the application fee for those successful in the residential tenancies hearings

"We're in the midst of forming our community's first tenancy association comprised of tenants and landlords," said tenant Doris MacDonald, Halifax. "We really appreciate how the new act and regulations spell out the new rules clearly and concisely, in language our community members can read and understand."

Over the next few months, the province will take steps to ensure tenants and landlords are aware of, and understand, their rights and responsibilities under the new Residential Tenancies Act.

"I think it's exciting to finally have the new, updated Residential Tenancies Act," said Priscilla Lotherington, landlord and property manager with Mendlet Management, Sydney. "I'm hoping that these changes will streamline the procedures we are required to go through and will be more efficient for everyone involved. I think both tenants and landlords have waited a long time for this and it's great that it's finally here."

Changes to the act also include a way for tenants to request that potential buyers of their manufactured homes be approved as tenants by landlords before the sale. Landlords will now have 10 days to respond to the request.

For more information, visit http://novascotia.ca/rta.