Is it normal for a landlord to ask for a SIN number?

Landlords who rent for profit follow Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner says a landlord should collect only what is reasonably needed to decide whether to rent to you. A landlord may view your ID, but copying or keeping it may not be reasonable. References need your consent, and a credit check is allowed with your consent if the landlord has concerns about non-payment. The commissioner says landlords should avoid collecting a SIN, and unless the law requires it you cannot be denied a tenancy for refusing (Order P2012-11). Name and date of birth usually produce a credit report.

Searching social media is discouraged, and asking for information the Alberta Human Rights Act protects is usually not reasonable. For bank or financial information, the guidance says to collect only what is needed to process the rent. We found no Alberta rule that bans application fees.

BC landlords follow the province's Personal Information Protection Act, not PIPEDA. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner says a landlord cannot require consent beyond what the tenancy needs. A landlord may view your photo ID and hand it back, and should not copy or keep it. It may ask for proof that you are 19 or older where your age is in doubt. On the SIN, the guidance says to avoid asking all applicants, or to make it optional, since your name and date of birth are usually enough.

References need your consent, and asking whether you have ever been evicted is reasonable. Proof of income or employment may be reasonable if references are inadequate. A landlord cannot require a criminal record check unless it is necessary, and usually it is not. Fees for accepting or processing an application are banned.

Manitoba landlords follow PIPEDA, so the OPC's SIN rule applies: a landlord cannot require it. The Manitoba Human Rights Commission's housing guideline says a landlord may screen for ability to pay, income stability and suitability, and may ask about your employer, position and salary, as long as each applicant is assessed individually. You should be able to list income from all sources and offer a guarantor. Questions about marital or family status, ancestry, religion or medical needs may lead to discrimination.

Application fees are banned in Manitoba.

Saskatchewan landlords follow PIPEDA. A landlord can ask to see your ID and pay stubs and can check references and credit with your consent, but cannot turn you down for refusing your SIN unless the law requires it or no other identifier would do. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission says a landlord may obtain information relevant to your qualifications as a tenant, as long as it is not used discriminatorily. It adds that having no rental or credit history should not be treated like a negative report.

Application fees are banned in Saskatchewan.

PIPEDA covers Ontario landlords. The OPC says privacy law does not stop a landlord asking to see your driver's licence or pay stubs, but the landlord likely does not need a copy, and a landlord cannot require your SIN. Ontario also has a human rights layer (Residential Tenancies Act s.10 and O. Reg. 290/98). A landlord may request credit references, rental history and authorization for a credit check, may request income information only if it also requests those items, and may require a guarantor for the rent. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says the regulation permits no other inquiries. We found no Ontario rule that deals with photo ID by name. The OPC says privacy law does not stop a landlord asking to see it, so ask the Commission if a landlord insists on more.

Any fee from a prospective tenant is banned (s.134(1)(a)), and a fixed rent-to-income cut-off such as 30% is illegal. A lack of credit or rental history should not count against you.

New Brunswick landlords follow PIPEDA. The province says a landlord may ask for your name, contact information, employment information and references, and may request a credit check. The Human Rights Commission's housing guideline says income information, rental history, credit checks and guarantees are legitimate, but must not be used in a way that violates dignity and privacy or excludes protected groups. It treats minimum-income rules and rent-to-income ratios as discriminatory.

The Act has no rule that names an application fee. The closest is s.8(4), which voids any amount beyond rent, a deposit or a reasonable service amount, so ask the Tenant and Landlord Relations Office before paying one.

Nova Scotia landlords follow PIPEDA. The province's renting guide says landlords can run credit and background checks but are not allowed to force tenants to provide their SIN. Application fees are banned, and any money taken before the lease is signed counts as a security deposit. The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission says renting to someone but demanding extra deposit or rent in advance because of a protected characteristic is discrimination.

PEI landlords follow PIPEDA. The OPC says privacy law does not prevent a landlord asking to see a driver's licence, tax information or pay stubs, but a landlord who only needs to confirm identity or income likely does not need to keep a copy. A landlord cannot require your SIN. The Rental of Residential Property Act has no screening rules that we found, and the PEI Human Rights Commission says landlords should not ask about family or marital status, though they may ask how many people will live in the unit. A fee for accepting or processing an application, or for checking whether you are suitable, is banned.

Newfoundland and Labrador landlords follow PIPEDA, and a form that asks for your SIN outside a legal requirement must mark it optional. The Human Rights Act (s.12(3)) lets a landlord use income information, credit checks, credit references, rental history and guarantees. The Human Rights Commission says income should be used only to verify ability to pay, and a landlord should not reject you solely for lack of credit history.

We found no rule on application fees in the Residential Tenancies Act, so ask the Residential Tenancies Office before paying one.