Do you rent the place where you live? Do you rent out accommodation to someone else? As a tenant, do you and your landlord disagree on the return of your security deposit? As a landlord, do you and your tenant disagree on the upkeep of the apartment or home? The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) may be able to help resolve your disagreement.

RTDRS is a free service to help you resolve disputes with your landlord or tenant without going to court. And, the RTDRS recently implemented some changes to make using this service even easier for tenants and landlords, thanks in part to recommendations made by the Justice Sector Constellation.

“The Justice Sector Constellation works to ensure that everyone facing a legal issue has access to the resources and services they need,” said Janice Pasay, co-chair of the Constellation. “Often times, disputes with landlords can be intimidating if you don’t know the rules or have resources, so we made some recommendations to make the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service more accessible.”

Check out Information for Tenants or Information for Landlords to learn about your rights and responsibilities. A common area of disagreement is when landlords claim there has been damage to rental property. Applying for damages: Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service gives information about what can be claimed and in what amounts.

“Once people know their rights and responsibilities, the next step is talking to your landlord or tenant to try to clarify the misunderstanding or dispute. If you can’t agree, you can apply to RTDRS for help to settle your disagreement,” explained Janice.

Applications can be made online using the RTDRS eFiling Service by creating an account to file the application. The RTDRS website includes eFiling user tips for help with the online process.

Because of the pandemic, RTDRS hearings are conducted by telephone. The RTDRS website has information on how to prepare for a hearing and the hearing process. If you do not have a telephone, contact the RTDRS office for help.

Although the RTDRS offices are closed to the public as part of COVID-19 measures, they can be contacted toll-free by dialing 310-0000, then 780-644-3000. You can also contact RTDRS by email at rtdrs@gov.ab.ca. See Contact RTDRS for more information.