If a written tenancy agreement has a specified end date and the tenant does not renew it, the tenancy terminates on the specified date.

If there is no written agreement, but the parties have agreed on a specific end date, the tenant may terminate the tenancy by giving the landlord at least one rental payment period's notice.

A tenant may also terminate a tenancy agreement that does not specify an end date by giving the landlord notice on or before the last day of a rental payment period, to be effective not earlier than the last day of the following rental payment period.

If a landlord fails to give vacant possession of the rental unit on the day the tenancy begins, the tenant may terminate the tenancy without notice to the landlord.

A tenant may also terminate a tenancy if the landlord violates the Residential Tenancies Act or the tenancy agreement, and fails to remedy the violation within a reasonable time after receiving written notice from the tenant. In this case, the length of notice required is at least one rental payment period, effective on the last day of a rental payment period.

However, if the violation poses a risk to the health or safety of a tenant or occupant of the rental unit, the tenant may give a notice of termination to be effective not earlier than 5 days after the notice is given, without first giving the landlord written notice to remedy the violation.

Termination due to domestic violence

The law allows a tenant to terminate their tenancy due to domestic or sexual violence, stalking, or accessibility reasons.

If a tenant terminates their tenancy due to domestic or sexual violence or stalking, they must provide their landlord with notice of termination that is effective on the last day of the rental payment period, as well as a certificate from a designated authority appointed by the minister confirming that there are grounds for terminating the tenancy.

A designated authority can issue a certificate if they are satisfied that the tenant has made a complaint to local law enforcement authorities, has received a court order to protect them from violence or stalking, or has a written statement from a professional indicating that they have been the subject of violence or stalking, and if after an assessment, the authority is satisfied that there is a risk to the tenant's safety or that of a dependent child if the tenancy continues.

Accessibility reasons

If a tenant terminates their tenancy due to accessibility reasons, they must provide their landlord with notice of termination and a certificate from a physician confirming that due to an ongoing deterioration or change of some permanence in the health of the tenant or a person named as an occupant in the tenancy agreement, the rental unit or any part of the residential complex is no longer accessible to the tenant or the person.

Manitoba Employment Standards Act s.86-93.3