On the Edge of Everywhere
Minimum housing standards
The Town of Yarmouth sets minimum housing standards to protect residents’ health and safety. These rules describe the basic requirements every dwelling must meet.
Minimum requirements
- Weatherproof structure: solid walls, floors and roof.
- Secure openings: working, lockable windows and doors.
- Safe exits: clear, usable escape routes.
- Light & ventilation: adequate natural light and fresh air.
- Electricity: safe electrical service for lighting and appliances.
- Smoke alarms: installed and working.
- Plumbing: flush toilet, bath or shower, and hot and cold running water.
- Kitchen: facilities for food preparation.
- Heating: adequate heat for cold weather.
Conflicts with other bylaws
If another Town bylaw sets a higher standard, the higher requirement applies to protect public health and safety.
Complaints & questions
To report a problem or ask about standards, contact the Building Official: (902) 742-1505 or buildinginspector@townofyarmouth.ca You can also fill out and return a pdf complaint form(115 KB) .
pdf Minimum Housing By-Law(216 KB)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is considered adequate heat?
- Under the Minimum Housing By-Law, the heating system must be capable of maintaining a specific indoor temperature during cold weather (typically 20°C or 68°F, though you should reference the specific clause in the pdf By-Law PDF(216 KB) for the exact requirement). The system must be in good working order, properly vented, and safe for operation.
Q: Does the Town handle disputes between landlords and tenants?
- No. The Minimum Housing By-Law is for health and safety enforcement. If you have a dispute regarding rent, lease agreements, or tenant rights, please contact the Nova Scotia Residential Tenancies Program at 1-800-670-4357 or https://www.novascotia.ca/residential-tenancies.
Q: What are the requirements for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors?
- Every dwelling unit must be equipped with functioning smoke alarms installed as per the manufacturer's instructions and provincial fire code. While the by-law mandates working alarms, residents are encouraged to check provincial fire safety regulations for specific placement requirements (e.g., inside every bedroom).
Q: What happens after I file a complaint?
- A Town official or Building Inspector conduct an on-site inspection, with entry into the dwelling. If a violation exists, the Town will issue an order to the property owner to bring the dwelling up to standard. The inspector will follow up to ensure compliance.
Parks & Trails
Yarmouth has a variety of parks, open spaces, and trails where you can enjoy our town’s refreshing sea breezes, stunning sunsets, and cool evening fogs. See a full list of trails and landmarks.
The Hartlin Trail follows the historic train routes from Bunker's Island to Lake Milo and beyond. This route along the edge of Yarmouth harbour offers a great place for long leisurely walks, jogs or strolls. Along the way, you’ll discover interpretive signage, wharves, parks, museums, shops, and restaurants. Don't forget to check the tide times, and witness the incredible 4–5 meter tides in Yarmouth Harbour.

Parks and green spaces can be found everywhere in Yarmouth, including historic Frost Park, Beacon Park, Rotary Park, Doug Melanson Park, and Sealed Landers Park, which connects Milton Dam and Lake Milo. Children’s playgrounds at Yarmouth Elementary and South Centennial schools are complemented by four town playgrounds on Sprucewood Drive, Beacon Street, Havelock Drive and Goudey Street. A playground for preschool-aged children can be found at the Nova Scotia Community College.
At the Lake Milo Aquatic Club, you’ll discover daily supervised swimming, swim lessons, sailing, canoe, kayak, and dragon boat activities planned by Yarmouth Recreation each summer. Yarmouth’s historic Gateway field has seen nearly a century’s worth of baseball games and has a full set of track and field facilities. Nighttime baseball and softball are often played at Broadbrook Park.
Finally, Yarmouth High School and Meadowfields School each host soccer and other field sports. Whatever you love to do, you can find it in Yarmouth.
If you see a problem at one of our parks or trails, please contact Operational Services or Report a Problem.
Parking
The Town of Yarmouth provides abundant free public parking (no meters). Read the Parking Bylaw for full rules and definitions.
Quick facts
- On‑street parking: 2‑hour limit unless signed otherwise.
- Town lots: Glebe Street (behind Town Hall), Collins Street, Brown Street, Hawthorne Street — 2‑hour limit without a permit.
- Permits: Needed to park longer than 2 hours in town-owned lots. Buy virtual permits via HotSpot (app or web) or in person at Town Hall.
- Enforcement: Parking enforcement is active. Tickets or impoundment may apply for infractions.
Common infractions (may result in ticket or tow)
- Parking longer than posted time limits (eg. over 2 hours).
- Parking in a lot over 2 hours without a permit.
- Parking in an accessible space without a permit.
- Not parking within the lines of a single space.
- Parking over safety lines or not in an indicated space.
- Parking facing the wrong direction or more than 150 mm from the curb.
- Any other Motor Vehicle Act violations.
Electric vehicle charging
- Brown Street Parking Lot: Features Nova Scotia Power Level 3 fast chargers (180 kW output) with 4 total connectors.
- Yarmouth, NS Supercharger (120 Starrs Road): Features 6 Tesla Supercharger outlets with up to 250 kW capacity.
- Collins Street Parking Lot: Municipal and NS Power stations.
- Killam Bros. Marina (90 Water Street): Public Level 2 charging.
Winter parking (Dec 1–Mar 31)
- No parking on streets from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Do not park in the street right-of-way where it may obstruct snow removal or winter maintenance.
- Do not park on streets or sidewalks from one hour after a snowstorm begins until two hours after it ends.
Learn more at Snow Plowing.
Parking passes (HotSpot)
- Monthly pass: $20. Daily pass: $2. Online convenience fees: $0.50 (daily) and $2.00 (monthly) plus HST. No convenience fee for in‑person purchases at Town Hall.
- HotSpot supports multiple vehicles per account; select the plate that matches the vehicle parked.
- Purchase: HotSpot app or hotspotparking.ca; or in person at Town Hall, 400 Main Street.
- pdf Download the parking map (PDF, 1008 KB).(752 KB)
Parking enforcement contacts
- Phone: (902) 742‑4860
- Email: enforcement@townofyarmouth.ca
Towed/impounded vehicles
- Bishara's Garage
- Address: 1292 NS‑340, South Ohio, NS B5A 5N2
- Phone: (902) 742‑7759
Disputing tickets
- to dispute a parking ticket, a notification will arrive by mail with information on how to dispute the ticket in court.

Newcomers Guide

Moving to a new place can be challenging, especially if this is your first time living in Canada. Drop by Town Hall at 400 Main St. and we'll happily answer any questions you have about your new home. Our Economic Development Officer and the Mayor would love to meet you!
On behalf of everyone here, welcome to Yarmouth!
Our Town
The Town of Yarmouth is the regional centre of southwestern Nova Scotia. The Town's population of nearly 7,000 people doubles on weekdays with the influx of workers and students from surrounding areas. Yarmouth is the financial, business, education, and lifestyle centre for the 70,000 people who live in the tri-counties of Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne. The port of Yarmouth, located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds, is central to Yarmouth's history and development. With Canada's most lucrative fishing industry, Yarmouth and the Acadian Shores have a culture and economy historically tied to fishing and related industries.
We're located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia. New Brunswick is located to the north, separated by the Bay of Fundy. Halifax is just over 300 kilometres away, while Maine, USA is located to the northwest. Our area has an oceanic climate as the maritime influences temper any major hot or cold fluctuations. There is little snow accumulation during the winters because of the mild temperature. Precipitation is significant and distributed throughout the year, while summers are relatively mild.
Checklist for Moving In
- Apply for a family doctor. Call 1 (844) 491-5891 if you're looking for a family doctor, nurse practitioner, or other primary health care service. There are also a variety of programs and services available to people without family physicians, outlined by the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
- Call for community services. By calling 211, you can get access to thousands of essential services anywhere in Nova Scotia, including refugee assistance, newcomer services, and more.
- School registration. Registering your children for school is quick and easy – to get started, go to Education and find contact information for local schools.
- Taxes and utilities. Learn how to access water, sewer, and electric services, plus resources for paying taxes.
- Update your driver's license. Head to the local Access Nova Scotia office at 10 Starrs Rd.
What You Need To Know
- Active living. Discover what you can do to stay active in your new home.
- Animal Services. How to register your dog and responsibilities as a pet owner.
- Bill payments. Where to pay your municipal taxes, water bill, and more.
- Business services. Whether you're running a business, or thinking about starting a new one, learn more on at Economic Development.
- Building and renovating. If you're making changes to your new home, you'll need to apply for a building permit.
- Culture and heritage. Learn about Yarmouth's iconic past as you become part of its future.
- Emergency services. Police, fire, and medical services are available whenever you need them. If someone's health, safety, or property is threatened and help is needed right away, call 911 right away.
- Events. Connect with your new community at civic events and festivals!
- Local media. Tune into 95.5 on your radio for CJLS or watch Eastlink TV.
- Minimum housing standards. Know your rights as a new resident of Yarmouth.
- Passport services. You can update your passport at the Yarmouth Service Canada Centre at 13 Willow St.
- Separating your garbage. In Yarmouth, we use a 2 bag system – one for paper products, the other for plastic and metal. Along with roadside collection for solid waste, we also recommend special steps for pharmaceutical waste, hazardous waste, and electronics. Learn more on our Garbage, Recycling & Composting page.
- Transportation. Yarmouth has a range of transportation services, including a transit bus, shuttles, and ferry service to the United States.
- Weather and tides. Yarmouth's temperate climate and high tides can take some adjustment. Check out the weather, tide, and pollen reports to stay on top of things.
- Winter! It can be pretty intense. Learn about our winter services, and your responsibilities as a resident, on Snow & Ice Management. Drive safe!
- See a problem? We want to hear about it! Reach out on at Report a Problem.





















