Provincial release:

People who want to buy coastal property in Nova Scotia will have one more tool to help make informed decisions about living along the coast.

Starting Tuesday, July 1, buyers will have the option on property disclosure statement forms to request that the seller disclose whether coastal flooding, coastal erosion, general flooding, pooling or drainage issues have affected the property.

The changes to the form, made by the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission, follow a government commitment to work with the commission on increasing awareness and understanding of potential hazards that come with owning coastal property.

“Purchasing a property is one of the biggest and most important financial commitments we make, and I applaud the leadership of the real estate commission, who with this change are helping property buyers make informed decisions and investments with respect to potential impacts of climate change,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “This is the type of all-hands-on-deck approach to adapting to global climate change that is needed to ensure our communities and homes are sustainable and safe.”

Property disclosure statements encourage full communication between property sellers and buyers, helping protect both parties in real estate transactions and helping buyers make informed decisions by providing them with as much information as possible about a property. Changes to the statement apply to both properties with buildings on them and vacant land.

This new tool complements others the Province has produced over the past year to help property owners, potential property buyers and the real estate sector make informed decisions. These include:
– a coastal hazard assessment report that gives property owners customized information on potential coastal flooding and erosion risks on their property
– a guide on how to use trees, plants and other natural techniques to protect properties from erosion, rising sea levels and flooding
– the coastal hazard mapping tool which shows possible coastal flooding and erosion impacts to properties
– a checklist and education video for real estate agents to use to help their clients make informed decisions about buying coastal property, developed in partnership with the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS
– a navigator service to help coastal property owners understand potential risks and hazards on their property and what they can do to mitigate them.

All tools and resources are available at: https://novascotia.ca/coastal-climate-change/

The government released The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline: The plan to protect people, homes and nature from climate change, on February 26, 2024. It has15 actions for property owners, municipalities and the Province to take to make coastal homes, communities and natural areas safer and more resilient to the impacts of climate change and to support informed decision-making by property owners and municipalities.

Quick Facts:
– the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission is the regulator of the Nova Scotia real estate industry
– the changes apply to Forms 211 and 212, produced by the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission and available to all those buying property in Nova Scotia
– working with the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission to increase awareness and consider hazards for coastal real estate through education and changes to Property Disclosure Statements is Action 6 in the coastal protection action plan

Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission forms: https://nsrec.ns.ca/news-practice-resources/commission-news/item/july-2025-forms-updates

The Future of Nova Scotia’s Coastline: A plan to protect people, homes and nature from climate change: https://novascotia.ca/coastal-climate-change/docs/coastline-plan.pdf

Coastal hazard assessment report intake form  https://novascotia.ca/coastal-climate-change/request-coastal-hazard-assessment-report/

Coastal hazard online mapping tool: https://nsgi.novascotia.ca/chm

News releases about coastal protection action plan actions and other climate change initiatives: https://news.novascotia.ca/search/all?field_topics=285