Is it illegal for landlords to discriminate?

We found no rule in the sources we reviewed that answers this, so we cannot say it is legal or illegal. The tenancy and human rights laws we reviewed do not mention immigration status, and the only mention we found is Nova Scotia's commission example of an ad excluding "an immigrant", which it gives as discrimination. What the laws do cover is discrimination based on national origin, citizenship (Ontario), place of origin, ethnic origin and ancestry. If you are unsure, ask the human rights commission in your province.

We found no rule on this in the sources we reviewed. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says a guarantor requirement must apply to all tenants, not just to people identified by Code grounds such as recent immigrants. Privacy commissioners say a landlord should collect only what is reasonably needed to rent to you. See asking for a SIN or ID.

Complain to your province's human rights body: the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, or the human rights commission in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. In Ontario, start with the Ontario Human Rights Commission's rental housing guidance. The time limits we found are one year in Alberta and Prince Edward Island and 12 months in Nova Scotia. We did not find limits for the other provinces, so ask the commission. As SQRFT's advice, keep ads, messages, and notes of who said what and when. See how to report a landlord.

Write down what happened, with dates and any messages or ads. Then contact your province's human rights commission or tribunal; it can explain whether a protected ground applies and how to file. The tenancy office (such as the Residential Tenancy Branch in BC) may not be able to apply human rights law. If the landlord is also threatening to evict you, see my landlord is retaliating against me.

Source of income is a protected ground in Alberta, British Columbia (lawful source of income), Manitoba, New Brunswick (as social condition), Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and in Saskatchewan and Ontario as receipt of public assistance. In Newfoundland and Labrador the Act defines the ground narrowly, as income or employment support under the Income and Employment Support Act. Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick treat rent-to-income cut-offs as discrimination. Treating benefits as a reason to refuse is not allowed under these grounds. See refusing a tenant on benefits.

Generally no. Family status is a protected ground in every province covered here. Exceptions exist for buildings for people 55 and older in some provinces (for example Saskatchewan s.11(4) and Newfoundland and Labrador s.12(4)). See can a landlord refuse children.

No. Disability is a protected ground in all nine provinces covered here. In Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick the guidance also describes a duty to accommodate, which includes eviction decisions. For Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, we found no clear statement on evictions, so ask the commission how accommodation applies. See evicting a disabled person.

Yes, a landlord generally cannot refuse a service animal or charge extra for one. The rules differ by province, and emotional support animals are treated differently from service dogs. See service dogs and emotional support animals.

Pets are not listed as a protected ground in the human rights laws above. New Brunswick's government says a no-pets policy is not discriminatory in itself, with an exception required for service animals. See can a landlord refuse pets.

Age is a protected ground in all nine provinces. In Alberta "age" means 18 or older, and in British Columbia 19 or older. Lease capacity for minors differs: British Columbia lets a person under 19 enter a tenancy, Saskatchewan lets a person under 18 be a tenant (Residential Tenancies Act s.4), and Ontario protects 16 and 17 year olds who have withdrawn from parental control. See renting at 18.

It can be required, up to a limit. Human rights bodies in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador describe a landlord's duty to accommodate a tenant's disability-related needs up to the point of undue hardship, and the sources we reviewed do not list the specific changes a landlord must make, so the answer depends on the need and the cost. The Saskatchewan commission says a landlord must consider accessibility renovations, the Nova Scotia commission gives a bathtub grab bar or a flat entrance as examples when a medical professional sets out the need, and the Newfoundland and Labrador commission says a landlord must remove barriers unless that causes undue hardship. We found no Prince Edward Island wording on this point, so ask the commission there.

In Ontario, undue hardship is judged only on cost, outside sources of funding and health and safety, and the landlord has to prove it. In Alberta the hardship must be "substantial in nature", and in British Columbia a landlord who has reason to believe a renter needs accommodation has a duty to inquire. SQRFT advice: ask in writing, say what you need and why, and contact your province's human rights commission or tribunal if the answer is no. See evicting a disabled person.

A landlord can choose between applicants, but not for a reason that human rights law protects. The laws we reviewed bar a refusal based on a protected ground such as race, disability or family status, and in many provinces source of income or receipt of public assistance, and the grounds differ by province (see the province sections above). Other reasons are a separate question: criminal record, for example, does not appear as a housing ground in the laws we reviewed, and the Saskatchewan commission says having no rental or credit history should not be viewed the same as a negative report.

Some screening rules that sound neutral can still be discrimination: the commissions in Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick treat rent-to-income cut-offs that way. If you think a refusal was really about a protected ground, keep the ad and your messages and contact your province's human rights commission or tribunal. See can a landlord decline a tenant.