How to find a good tenant?

Alberta's own privacy law, PIPA, covers landlords acting in a commercial capacity. The privacy commissioner's guidance says to collect only what is reasonably needed to decide whether to rent. A credit check is allowed with the tenant's consent if you have concerns about non-payment, and references need consent too. Avoid asking for the SIN, and a tenant cannot be refused for not giving it unless the law requires it.

The Human Rights Act protects grounds including source of income, which covers things like social assistance or AISH but not ordinary wages. Criminal record is not a protected ground. The Act does not ban or cap application fees. The security deposit is capped at one month's rent, and the move-in and move-out inspection reports are required, with no deposit deduction for damage if the report rules are not met.

BC's Personal Information Protection Act covers private landlords. The privacy commissioner's guidance says you may look at government photo ID but should not copy it, may ask for references with consent, and may ask whether the applicant has ever been evicted. A credit check needs consent and the purpose explained, and should be done only near the end of selection. A landlord cannot require a criminal record check unless it is necessary, which it usually is not.

The Human Rights Code covers tenancy, including lawful source of income, family status and age. Charging any fee for accepting or processing an application, or checking suitability, is banned and carries a fine of up to $5,000. The security deposit is capped at half a month's rent, with a separate pet damage deposit capped at half a month. Move-in and move-out condition inspections are required, using form RTB-27.

Manitoba has no provincial private-sector privacy act for landlords, so the federal PIPEDA applies. A credit check needs the applicant's consent, and you cannot require a SIN. You may ask to see ID or pay stubs but likely should not keep copies, and references and background checks need consent. The privacy commissioner says a landlord has no right to disclose a tenant's poor payment history to an informal "bad tenants list".

The Human Rights Code protects grounds including source of income, family status and social disadvantage. Criminal record is not a protected ground. Application fees are banned, and the security deposit is capped at half of the first month's rent. Condition reports are optional unless either side asks for one, in which case both must inspect and sign.

The federal PIPEDA applies to Saskatchewan landlords. A credit check needs the applicant's consent, a SIN is not needed and an applicant generally cannot be denied for refusing to give it, and you may ask to see a driver's licence or pay stubs without needing to keep copies. References and background checks need consent, and the OPC advises against social media checks.

The Human Rights Code bans refusing occupancy on listed grounds, including family status, disability and receipt of public assistance, which is defined narrowly. Wages, pensions and other benefits are not listed as a source of income ground. Criminal record is not a protected ground. Application and processing fees are banned (s.23), the deposit is capped at one month's rent, and inspection reports are optional under the law.

PIPEDA covers private landlords in Ontario. You need the applicant's consent for a credit check, which needs at least name, address and date of birth, and you cannot require a SIN. Ontario's Human Rights Code covers grounds in housing including family status, receipt of public assistance and age. Under the Code's regulation you may ask for credit references, rental history and a credit check authorization, and ask for income information only if you also ask for those. You may require a guarantor if you do the same for every applicant. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says a fixed rent-to-income cut-off such as 30% is illegal. Criminal record ("record of offences") is protected only in employment, not in housing.

Application, screening and credit check fees are banned under s.134 of the Act, and charging one is an offence. The only security deposit allowed is a rent deposit (last month's rent) of up to one rent period. A pet deposit or any deposit against damage is not allowed. Move-in and move-out condition reports are not required, but a written record helps in a damage application.

PIPEDA applies to New Brunswick landlords. The province's government says a landlord may ask for name, contact information, employment information and references, and may request a credit check, which needs consent. A SIN is not needed. The Human Rights Act lists 16 grounds, including family status and social condition, which covers source of income. A landlord may not refuse families with children or advertise for tenants without children. The Commission says minimum-income and rent-to-income rules are discriminatory, and that minimum bedroom or person-per-bedroom rules have a discriminatory effect. Criminal record is not a protected ground.

The Act has no rule that names an application fee, but it bars requiring any amount other than rent, a security deposit or a reasonable amount for a service as a condition of a lease. We found no government statement applying that to application fees, so ask the tenancy office before charging one. The deposit is capped at one month's rent (one week for weekly tenancies). Inspection reports are optional.

PIPEDA covers landlords in Nova Scotia. A credit check is allowed with consent and needs at least name, address and date of birth, and a SIN cannot be required. The Human Rights Act bans discrimination in accommodation on grounds that include family status, source of income and disability. An example the Commission gives is refusing a renter on Income Assistance, a student loan or EI. Criminal record is not a protected ground.

Application fees are banned (s.6(1)), the deposit is capped at half a month's rent, and a separate pet deposit is not allowed. Money taken before the lease is signed is treated as a security deposit. Condition reports are not required, but the standard lease recommends a signed report within 7 days of the start and end of the tenancy.

PIPEDA applies to PEI landlords. A credit check needs consent, and a landlord cannot require a SIN. The Human Rights Act protects grounds that include family status and source of income. The Commission says landlords should not ask about family or marital status but may ask how many people will live in the unit. Refusing someone because their main income is Financial Assistance is not allowed. Criminal conviction is protected in employment only, not in housing.

Application, processing and screening fees are banned (s.12(1)). The deposit is capped at one month's rent (one week for weekly rent), and a separate pet, key or holding deposit is not allowed. Condition inspections at move-in and move-out are required for tenancies that started on or after April 8, 2023, using the approved form.

PIPEDA applies to landlords in Newfoundland and Labrador. A credit check needs consent, and a form that asks for the SIN must mark it optional. The Human Rights Act, 2010 lists grounds that include family status, source of income and disability. The source of income ground is narrow and defined by the Income and Employment Support Act, though the Commission's guidance is broader in tone. Criminal record is not a protected ground for housing.

We found no rule that bans or limits an application fee, and no official page says whether the deposit rules reach one. The security deposit is capped at 3/4 of one month's rent, and a separate pet deposit is not allowed. Condition reports are optional, but the Office says they should be used, because adjudicators rely on them to decide damage claims.