Screening Tenants in Ontario, Fairly and Thoroughly
Rewritten October 2026 for Ontario landlords.
The original version of this post was written for a US audience. We rewrote it for Ontario, kept only facts we could source, and linked each one. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Choosing a tenant is the most important decision a small landlord makes. In Ontario it's also governed by the Human Rights Code, which limits what you can ask and how you can decide. Here's what the Ontario Human Rights Commission's policy on rental housing says, and a process that keeps you thorough and fair.
What you can ask for
According to the Commission's policy (source):
- Rental history, credit references and credit checks may be requested. A lack of rental or credit history should not be viewed negatively.
- Income information may be requested, but you must also ask for and consider any other available information together with it. Income information on its own may be considered only when no other information is made available.
- A guarantor may be requested, but only if you have the same requirement for all tenants.
- Nothing else. The regulation that sets out what landlords may ask permits no other inquiries.
What you can't do
- Apply a rent-to-income cut-off, such as a 30% rule. The Commission says this is illegal for housing providers, except for subsidized units where rent is geared to income. (Source)
- Refuse or discourage people on protected grounds, including family status, age, race, sex, disability and receipt of public assistance. Ads like "suits a working person" or "adults only" fall foul of this. (Source)
- Apply guarantor rules selectively, for example only to newcomers or people on social assistance. (Source)
A simple process for every applicant
- Write down your criteria first, and apply them the same way to everyone.
- Ask for the same information from each applicant: rental history, references, credit check consent and income information.
- Call previous landlords, not just the current one, and ask how the tenancy went.
- Look at the whole picture. A thin credit file isn't a reason to refuse on its own.
- Keep notes of what you asked, what you received and why you decided, dated, for each applicant.
If you're unsure about a specific situation, the Commission's policy is the authority. For legal advice, talk to a lawyer.