To file a complaint against your landlord in Saskatchewan, apply to the Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT) through its online portal with a tenant application, such as Breach of Tenant's Rights. The fee is $50, you need evidence, and a hearing officer decides by phone hearing (Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, s.70; ORT Rules of Procedure).
This how-to is for Saskatchewan renters whose landlord is not meeting the lease or the Act. Try to settle it in writing first; the ORT says written messages can later serve as evidence (saskatchewan.ca, Settling Disputes).
What can the ORT order?
A hearing officer may make any order that is just and equitable, including (s.70(6)–(7)):
- an order that the landlord stop breaking the lease, the Act or the regulations and comply;
- an order that you pay rent to the ORT instead of the landlord, with the money used to fix the problem;
- payment of damages to you.
Claims are capped at $30,000 (Regulations s.11). The ORT has no jurisdiction over pain, suffering or discrimination (Rules of Procedure).
Which application do you choose?
| Your problem | Portal path | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Repairs, entry, quiet enjoyment or another breach | New Application > Tenant > [Claim Reason] | During the tenancy or up to one year after the act or omission |
| Landlord has not returned your deposit | New Security Deposit Dispute > Landlord has not returned the security deposit | Within 60 days of the tenancy end date |
| Landlord filed a claim against your deposit | New Security Deposit Dispute > Notice of Landlord's Claim for Security Deposit | Dispute within 60 days of the tenancy end date |
A landlord's deposit claim is not scheduled for a hearing unless the tenant disputes it and pays the non-refundable filing fee. How deposits must be returned is in Saskatchewan security deposits.
How do you file?
- Gather evidence: the written lease if there is one, your messages to the landlord, photos, videos and receipts. Keep it clear and limited to your claim.
- Sign in to the ORT online portal, choose New Application, then Tenant, then your claim reason, and upload the evidence. Use full legal names.
- Pay the $50 fee when the status shows Payment Required, or apply for a fee waiver certificate.
- Serve the hearing notice on the landlord in person, by email or text, or by ordinary mail, and complete a Certificate of Service.
- Serve your evidence too. Uploading it is not service on the landlord.
Two details trip people up. You must upload a copy of the hearing notice you served under "Hearing Notices" in the application, and it is your job to watch the application's status after you submit. The hearing officer decides only the claims written on the hearing notice, so list every claim there.
What happens at the hearing?
Hearings are by phone. Before the date you call the ORT with the number to reach you, and the hearing officer calls both sides at the set time. Be by your phone and make sure 1-800 numbers are not blocked. The decision is emailed or mailed, so keep your contact details current in the portal (saskatchewan.ca, Settling Disputes). For more, see ORT Hearings in Saskatchewan.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have?
During the tenancy or within one year after the act or omission (s.71.1).
What if a decision has an obvious error?
Either side can email a Request to Correct or Clarify within 15 days of the decision; the fee is $50 (saskatchewan.ca, Settling Disputes).
Can I appeal a decision?
Yes. Any ORT decision may be appealed to the Court of King's Bench within 30 days of the decision date.
The landlord was ordered to pay me. Who collects it?
You do. Enforcement is the responsibility of the party who won, and the decision can be registered as a Court of King's Bench judgment after the 30-day appeal period.
What if repairs are the problem?
Read Repairs and Maintenance in Saskatchewan Rentals and Saskatchewan Tenant Rights.
More help for renters
Read up on maintenance requests and provincial tenant protections in the Canadian Tenant Resource Center.
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