What is the maximum security deposit a landlord can charge in Alberta?

One month's rent. A landlord cannot require more than one month's rent as a security deposit, and cannot require a top-up later just because the rent has increased.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Alberta?

10 days after the tenant gives up possession. If the landlord is deducting for damages or unpaid rent, they must return the balance they do not intend to use plus an estimated statement of account within those 10 days, then provide the final statement and any remaining balance within 30 days.

Can a landlord enter without permission in Alberta?

Only with at least 24 hours' written notice stating the reason and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. With the tenant's consent, no notice is needed. In a genuine emergency, or where the tenant appears to have abandoned the unit, the landlord may enter without notice.

For renters

Rent a home through KO Realty

What is available, what the application involves, and what the law says you are owed.

Short answer

Expect to provide identification, proof of income, employment details and previous landlord references, and to consent to a credit and background check. A landlord in Alberta may not require a security deposit greater than one month's rent, must place it in an interest-bearing trust account within 2 banking days, and must complete a move-in inspection report with you within one week of you taking possession.

Looking for a place now? Managed rentals are usually known weeks before a tenancy ends, so the waiting list hears about a match before it reaches the listing portals. Tell us what you're looking for → It is free. In Alberta the landlord pays the manager, never the renter.

Find a home

Everything listed here is managed by us. Managed homes are usually known weeks before a tenancy ends, so the waitlist hears first. Both are free, always. In Alberta the landlord pays the manager, never you.

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Know what you're owed

Renting is the one major transaction most people enter without reading the rules. These take ten minutes:

Security deposits: the cap is one month's rent, and there are hard deadlines on getting it back.
Entry rules: 24 hours' written notice, stating a reason, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Rent increases: no cap in Alberta, but strict timing rules that are often got wrong.
Ending a tenancy: how much notice you owe, and how much you are owed.

Insist on the move-in inspection. A move-in inspection report must be completed with the tenant within one week before or one week after the tenant takes possession. It is the record that protects your deposit, and a landlord who skips it loses the right to deduct for damage.

What the application asks for

Identification, proof of income, employment details, previous landlord references, and consent to a credit and background check. That is standard and reasonable. What is not reasonable is being asked to pay anything before you have seen a written tenancy agreement. If that happens, anywhere, walk away.

Renting now, buying later

If you are renting because buying is not possible yet, it is worth knowing the actual distance rather than assuming. The affordability calculator uses the real Canadian stress test, and paths to homeownership is honest about which routes work and which mostly do not, including rent-to-own, which deserves more scepticism than it usually gets.

No pressure attached. A good tenant who buys in four years is a better outcome than a stretched buyer who buys now.

General information about Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, not legal advice. Rules change and individual situations vary. For a dispute, contact the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or a lawyer. Rules current as of 2026-08-11.

Last updated 2026-08-19 · Written by Mohammad Emon, REALTOR® (SRES®) & Licensed Property Manager, KO Realty · RECA licence LIC-00666633

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