Bill 177: Commercial Rent Cap Act

This bill directly affects two groups: small independent businesses earning under $3 million a year and registered charities operating in Nova Scotia — both as tenants and as commercial landlords. If you run a small shop, restaurant, studio, or nonprofit in Nova Scotia and rent your space from a commercial landlord, this law would protect you from large rent increases, give you the right to renew your lease, and require your landlord to justify any charges above CPI. On the landlord side, if you own commercial property in Nova Scotia and lease to small tenants, you'll face new paperwork requirements — annual cost breakdowns, written renewal processes, Director filings for evictions — and strict limits on how and when you can raise rents or end a tenancy. Franchises, publicly listed companies, and businesses affiliated with their landlord are excluded, so this primarily protects solo operators and small owner-managed businesses, not chain retailers.