The new Residential Tenancies Act

The RTA provides protection and promotes fairness between tenants and landlords. It improves housing stability, supports a healthy private rental sector and sets clear rules and practices.

In 2023, the Government of Yukon committed to a review of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

The updated Act includes:

• a new name;
• clear paths to end tenancy agreements for both landlords and tenants;
• rent control regulation based on inflation;
• e-transfer and pet deposit information;
• a mobile home site tenancy section; and
• clarification of the Residential Tenancy Office's (RTO) role.

Minimum rental standards, rights and responsibilities

All rental units and residential properties in the Yukon must meet the minimum health, safety and housing standards. Both tenants and landlords must maintain health and safety standards at rental units and residential properties. With consent of both parties, official requirements of tenancy agreements can be communicated by email.

Read the minimum health, safety and housing standards and other rights and responsibilities fact sheet.

• Other rights and responsibilities fact sheet

Deposits, pet deposits and return of deposits

The Act includes information about a pet damage deposit. Yukoners can also use e-transfers to give return deposits.

• Deposits fact sheet

Roommates, subletting and shared accommodations

The new Act includes rules for roommates and subletting. This gives clarity on your rights when living in shared accommodation.

If a tenant shares the home with the landlord, most of the Act does not apply, except for rent increases under the regulations.

• Shared accommodation fact sheet

Paying rent, rent increases and rent control

The new Act includes rent control and addresses AI-driven rent-setting. Setting rent using algorithms is now an offence.

A 2 year average of the All Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Whitehorse sets the annual rent increase index. Landlords can apply for "above index" rent increases for extraordinary expenses, up to 3 per cent above the rent index for a maximum of 3 years.

• Paying the rent fact sheet
• Non-payment of rent flow chart
• Rent increases fact sheet

Ending a tenancy

The Act removes "without cause" evictions. It only allows landlords to end tenancies for valid reasons, such as:

• non-payment or repeated late payment of rent;
• safety risks;
• landlord, purchaser or their family to occupy;
• major renovations; or
• demolition or permanent change to non-residential use.

The RTA introduces a 5-day notice period before a landlord can issue a notice to end tenancy for unpaid rent.

The RTA also includes information for housing agencies about relocating tenants.

• Non-payment of rent flow chart
• Ending a tenancy (tenants) fact sheet
• Ending a tenancy (landlords) fact sheet

Mobile homes

The Act includes information for tenants of mobile home sites. These changes clarify responsibilities of mobile home site tenants and landlords including that:

• landlords must maintain common areas in the park; and
• the tenants must maintain their mobile home site.

This section only applies to mobile home site tenancies.

• Mobile home fact sheet

Disputes, decisions and orders

The Residential Tenancies Office (RTO) is an administrative tribunal. Its decisions are final and binding under the RTA.

The Yukon Supreme Court can return disputes to the RTO to rule on applicable residential tenancy matters.

• Decisions and orders fact sheet

During a dispute

If a tenancy dispute is active, any notice to end tenancy is paused until the RTO makes a decision.

The new Act does not affect rental agreements unless a dispute is raised by the landlord or tenant.

Disputes raised on or before August 31, 2025, and disputes relating to tenancies that ended on or before August 31, 2025, will follow the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.

Disputes raised on or after September 1, 2025, will follow the new Residential Tenancies Act.