|
|
|
|
Legal Line® provides Free legal information to Canadians through its website, telephone and fax-on-demand systems.
1,000 topics are covered within 35 areas of law...
Search...
Ontario|Landlord & TenantResidential 424 How can a landlord evaluate potential tenants?
- Applying for an apartment: information required by the landlord
Most landlords will require a tenant to provide information about their finances, employment, and credit history to determine if the tenant is able to pay rent on an on-going basis. A landlord may also require the tenant to give references or even have someone else co-sign the lease as a security measure.
- It is illegal for a landlord to discriminate
Although the law allows landlords to assess potential tenants on their ability to pay rent, it is illegal for a landlord to discriminate against tenants on personal characteristics set out by the Ontario Human Rights Code. It is illegal to discriminate against tenants who have children, or who are pregnant, or against tenants based on marital status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or language.
If a landlord refuses to rent to someone for any of these reasons, the tenant can call the Ontario Human Rights Commission to determine their rights. For additional information and legal advice, contact the legal clinic in your area. These offices are listed in the Blue pages of the telephone book.
|