No, living in an illegal secondary suite is not a reason for breaking your lease. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) still applies to illegal secondary suites. There are specific rules in the RTA about breaking a lease. For example, you can break your lease when a landlord commits a substantial breach like not meeting Minimum Housing and Health Standards. If your landlord is not following Alberta’s Minimum Housing and Health Standards, you can refer to the Repairs page for more information.
November 2023
