RTDRS – Overview | Alberta.ca

Overview

A tenant or a landlord can apply to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) if they are unable to resolve concerns related to:

the termination of a residential tenancy agreement
unpaid rent or utilities
security deposits
damages
repairs
other common disagreements

A residential landlord or their tenant can apply for remedies within 2 years from the date the claim or loss first came to the applicant’s attention, provided the claim is under $100,000 (the maximum monetary limit for RTDRS applications was raised from $50,000 to $100,000, effective August 1, 2023).

The rental premises and the claims in the application for relief must be covered by the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) or the Mobile Home Sites Tenancies Act (MHSTA).

Before you apply

Tenants and landlords should try to resolve disputes before applying.

Before filing an application with RTDRS, consider the following:

Have you tried to resolve the matter directly with the other party?
Do you have contact information for the respondent?
Have you gathered all of the information and evidence to prove your claims against the other party?
Does the respondent have income or assets that can be garnished or seized to satisfy a judgment?
Have you contacted witnesses for statements and asked if they will participate in a hearing?

How RTDRS works

You will need to:

file an application
serve the other party with legal documents
participate in a telephone hearing, and
enforce decisions in the order

This will take time and sincere effort on your part.

This flow chart outlines a summary of procedures involved after filing an application for a hearing.

Types of claims

Claim limit

As of August 1, 2023, the RTDRS is limited to awards of $100,000 maximum. An applicant is prohibited from separating a claim that exceeds $100,000 into smaller claims.

If your claim is for more than the limit of $100,000 you can choose to drop the extra amount, referred to as abandonment, or choose to sue for the full amount in the Court of King's Bench. For more information, contact the Court of King’s Bench.