Repair requests in Manitoba: who has to do what

• A landlord must keep the unit in good repair and meet health, building, maintenance and occupancy standards.
• A tenant must repair damage they cause, or that someone they let in causes, and must tell the landlord when repairs are needed.
• Ask in writing and keep a record.
• The fact sheet sets no fixed number of days. The landlord gets a reasonable time.

Ask the landlord in writing for the specific repairs you need. Keep copies of everything, and send one to the landlord and one to the Branch.

If you may later claim compensation, the written request has to reach the landlord, not only an on-site caretaker.

The duty to repair is yours, and a tenant who reports a problem is doing what they are supposed to do. The Branch gives no deadline, so what counts as reasonable depends on the problem.

Tip, not a rule: acknowledge the request quickly, say when you expect to deal with it, and keep a note of what happened. Most disputes start with silence.

A tenant should not hold back rent if the landlord refuses necessary and reasonable repairs. Instead the tenant can ask the Branch for help. It contacts the landlord and may inspect the unit.

If repairs are needed and the landlord doesn’t do them in a reasonable time, the Branch can order them done by a set date. If the landlord still refuses, it may hire a contractor. The tenant sends rent to the Branch only when asked, and that money pays the contractor.

A tenant can also file a claim with the Branch, naming a dollar amount, either as a lump sum or as an amount deducted from rent each month until the repair is made. The fact sheet gives a $50 filing fee.

Eligible losses include loss of use of part of the unit, loss of a service or facility such as an appliance, parking or laundry, and extra costs such as a higher water bill from a dripping tap. The Branch holds a hearing, and the tenant has to show the repair is necessary and that they didn’t cause the problem.

In Teno a tenant describes the problem, picks a type and marks it urgent if it is. The landlord gets an email straight away and the tenant gets a confirmation. Every later step, seen, in progress and resolved, is emailed to both of them.

The landlord sees every request in one inbox with urgent ones first, and each request carries a date. If a dispute ever reaches the Branch, ask them which records they want.

Residential Tenancies Branch, “Repairs” and “Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants” fact sheets. See also the Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch.

This is general information, not legal advice. It summarizes Residential Tenancies Branch fact sheets (the editions we used are dated December 2019). Rules and figures can change, so check with the Residential Tenancies Branch before you act.

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