With no heat in a Saskatchewan apartment, call the landlord's emergency number at once. Heating facilities and services are a "service or facility" under The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (s.2(o)(xii)); a landlord who supplies them must keep them in a good state of repair (s.49(1)(b)) and may not cut them off without the tenant's agreement or an order of the Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT) (s.43(1)).
At a glance: heat in Saskatchewan rentals
- Heat is a listed service: s.2(o)(xii).
- Repair duty: on the landlord for heating it supplies, whatever the cause, unless the tenant caused the damage (s.49(1)(b), (4), (6)).
- Cut-offs: not without agreement or an ORT order (s.43(1)).
- Emergency contact: every lease must give one (s.19(1)(f)).
- Temperature figure: none in the Act, the Regulations or the Standard Conditions.
Who should you call first when the heat goes out?
Start with the number your Saskatchewan lease gives for emergencies, including emergency repairs; the landlord must provide it, in writing even for an oral tenancy (s.19(1)(f), (3)). The landlord may enter without notice when an emergency exists and entry is needed to protect life or property (s.45(1)(f)), so a repair crew can come straight in.
Follow the call with a short text or email the same day: the time the heat failed, the indoor temperature you measured, and when you called. That message is your evidence if the repair drags on.
Does it matter who pays the gas or power bill?
Yes, for the bill; no, for the equipment. A Saskatchewan lease must say whether the landlord or the tenant pays for utilities (s.19(1)(g)(vi)). If the tenant's own account is cut off for non-payment, that is between the tenant and the utility. But a furnace, boiler or baseboard heater supplied with the unit is the landlord's to keep working (s.49(1)(b)).
| Cause of no heat | Who acts |
|---|---|
| Furnace or boiler breaks down | Landlord repairs (s.49(1)(b), (4)) |
| Landlord turns heat off or restricts it | Not allowed without agreement or an ORT order (s.43(1)) |
| Tenant damaged the equipment | Tenant is responsible for the repair (s.49(6)) |
| Tenant's own utility account unpaid | Tenant deals with the utility |
What if the landlord won't restore the heat?
File a Breach of Tenant's Rights application with the ORT. While you are still living in the unit, the ORT classes it as urgent, and the hearing notice for urgent applications must be served at least two days before the hearing (ORT Rules of Procedure, Parts 3 and 4). A hearing officer can order the landlord to comply, award damages, or have rent paid to the director and spent on the repair (s.70(6)–(7)). See the ORT hearing process and $50 fee.
Keep paying rent while you wait; the Act does not let a tenant hold it back over repairs (s.42(1)). The full repair split is in who fixes what in Saskatchewan rentals.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature must a Saskatchewan landlord keep the unit at?
The provincial tenancy law sets no number. The standard is that the unit is fit for habitation and supplied heating is kept in good repair (s.49(1)).
Can I end my lease if the heat keeps failing?
A tenant may end a tenancy on short written notice, stating the reason, when the landlord breaches a material term and does not fix it within a reasonable time (Regulations, Schedule 1, s.16(3)–(4)).
Can I claim for a hotel or space heaters?
You can claim compensation for losses caused by the landlord's non-compliance (s.8(1)). Keep receipts, and keep costs reasonable, because you must limit the loss (s.8(2)).
Are carbon monoxide alarms part of this?
Fuel-burning heat raises safety rules of its own; see our article on carbon monoxide alarms in Saskatchewan rental suites.
Heat is not optional in a Saskatchewan rental, and the fastest fix is a prompt call backed by written proof. More guides are in the Canadian Tenant Resource Center.
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