How to Screen Tenants in Ontario: Identity, Credit, and Avoiding Discrimination (2026)

Updated: July 29, 2026

Tenant screening is the single most consequential thing an Ontario landlord does. The tenant you place today determines your rental income, property condition, and management workload for the duration of the tenancy, which in Ontario, given the RTA’s protections and the LTB’s current timelines, can be very difficult to exit if it goes wrong.

A thorough, legally compliant screening process reduces that risk materially. This guide walks through every step: finding applicants, verifying identity, checking credit and income, calling references, assessing social media, and staying on the right side of Ontario’s Human Rights Code throughout.

Step 1:  Market the Unit to Attract Quality Applicants

Screening starts before you even receive an application. Where and how you advertise affects who applies.

• List on high-traffic rental platforms: Rentals.ca, Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, and Zumper consistently generate the highest volume of GTA rental inquiries. PadMapper and Craigslist add additional reach. Professional listing photos, accurate descriptions, and a clear list of what’s included (utilities, parking, laundry) reduce time-wasters and attract serious applicants.
• Set clear requirements in the listing: You can state income requirements (e.g., “household income of 2.5–3x monthly rent required”), pet policy, and smoking policy upfront. This reduces applications from tenants who don’t meet your criteria and cannot be considered.
• What you cannot state in an ad: You cannot advertise restrictions based on protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code; no “no children,” “preferred ethnicity,” or any other criterion that would discriminate against a protected group. Even implicitly discriminatory language creates legal exposure.

Our property marketing service handles professional listing creation, photography, and multi-platform distribution to maximise quality applicant volume.

Step 2: Use a Standardised Rental Application Form

Before showing the unit, ask interested applicants to complete a written rental application. A good application captures:

• Full legal name and date of birth (for credit check authorisation) 
• Current and previous addresses (with dates) 
• Current and previous landlord contact information (for reference calls) 
• Employer name, contact, position, and tenure (for employment verification)
• Monthly gross income and documentation available to verify it 
• Number of occupants who will live in the unit 
• Pet ownership 
• Reason for moving 
• Written authorisation for credit and background checks

A written application creates a paper trail and helps you compare multiple applicants consistently. It also provides the consent needed to run a credit check, which requires written authorisation under PIPEDA.

Step 3: Verify Identity

Identity fraud in rental applications is more common than most landlords expect. A fraudulent applicant may provide fake references, fabricated pay stubs, or misrepresented rental history, all of which can pass casual review.

Basic identity verification steps:

• Request government-issued photo ID (driver’s licence, passport, provincial ID card) from all applicants before proceeding 
• Verify that the name on the ID matches the name on the application exactly
• Cross-reference the address history on the application against any address information visible on the ID (if applicable) 
• For the “previous landlord” reference, independently look up the landlord’s name against the property address using Ontario land registry data or a property search tool, then call the number you find, not the number on the application

This last step is the most important fraud-prevention measure available to a self-managing landlord. Fake landlord references from friends or family posing as previous landlords are a well-documented form of application fraud. Taking 10 minutes to independently verify that you’re calling the actual property owner eliminates this risk.

For a complete guide on exactly how to conduct a landlord reference call and what questions surface the most useful information, that post covers the 15 must-ask questions with a copy-paste template.

Step 4: Run a Credit Check

A credit check is the most objective screening tool available and should be standard for every applicant. In Ontario, landlords can legally request a credit check with the written consent of the applicant  which your application form should capture.

What to look for in a credit report:

• Credit score: A score above 650 is generally considered acceptable for a rental. Scores below 600 warrant closer examination of the underlying factors. Context matters: a single missed payment years ago is different from a pattern of defaults. 
• AAA tenants: Applicants who clear every threshold comfortably are what the industry calls AAA tenants
• Payment history: Are bills consistently paid on time? Late payments, collections, and charge-offs are red flags for rent payment reliability. 
• Debt load: High debt relative to income can indicate cash flow constraints that affect rent payment. 
• Bankruptcies or consumer proposals: These appear on credit reports and are relevant to financial reliability, though they cannot be the sole reason for rejection if the applicant’s current situation is sound. 
• Eviction records: Equifax’s National Tenant Registry (NTR) captures some LTB eviction orders. It’s worth running alongside a standard credit check.

Credit check services for landlords: Equifax, TransUnion, and rental-specific platforms like FrontLobby, Naborly, or SingleKey all offer landlord credit reporting products. Costs range from free (tenant-pulled reports) to $15–$40 per applicant depending on the service.

Step 5: Verify Income

Income verification is as important as credit history. A tenant with a strong credit score but unstable or insufficient income is still a risk. A common guideline: gross household income should be 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent.

Acceptable income verification documents:

• Recent pay stubs (last 2–3 months) for employed applicants 
• Most recent Notice of Assessment (T1 General) from the CRA for self-employed applicants 
• Employment letter on company letterhead confirming position, tenure, and annual salary
• Bank statements showing regular income deposits (last 3 months) when other documentation is unavailable

For self-employed applicants or those with variable income, bank statements and NOAs together give the most complete picture. Be consistent; apply the same income verification standard to all applicants.

• Verify the employer independently: Don’t just accept a letter or pay stub. Call the employer using a number you independently find (company website, Google), not the number on the application. Fraudulent employment letters and fake pay stubs are relatively easy to produce and can fool a landlord who doesn’t verify independently.

For a practical framework covering the full range of factors to weigh when evaluating a completed rental application, that post helps you structure your decision across multiple applicants.

Step 6: Call Landlord References

Reference calls are covered in detail in our complete guide to conducting a landlord reference check, but the key points:

• Always call the previous landlord, not the current one 
• Independently verify you’re speaking to the actual property owner 
• Ask specifically whether rent was paid on time, whether there was damage, whether there were neighbour complaints, and whether they would rent to this person again 
• Listen as much for how the reference answers as what they say; vagueness and hesitation are meaningful signals

Step 7:  Consider Social Media Review

Reviewing a prospective tenant’s publicly available social media is legal in Ontario. It can surface lifestyle information that helps you assess fit, though it must be used carefully to avoid crossing into Human Rights Code territory.

What’s useful to look for: 

• Major red flags: evidence of property damage, conflict, illegal activity, or lifestyle factors that are directly relevant to tenancy (large undisclosed pets, frequent parties
• Inconsistencies with information provided on the application

What to avoid: 

• Using social media to identify or act on protected characteristics (race, religion, family status, disability, sexual orientation, etc.) 
• Recording or acting on anything that could be construed as discriminatory selection

For more on why and how to approach tenant social media review legally, that post covers the appropriate boundaries in detail.

Staying Compliant With the Ontario Human Rights Code

The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination in housing based on:

• Race, colour, ancestry, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship • Religion or creed • Sex (including pregnancy and gender identity) 
• Sexual orientation 
• Disability (physical or mental) 
• Family status (including having children)  
• Marital status 
• Age (18 and over) 
• Receipt of public assistance (social assistance recipients cannot be refused solely on this basis)

What this means in practice:

• You can reject a tenant for legitimate rental criteria: insufficient income, poor credit history, negative landlord reference, misrepresentation on the application, insufficient income. You cannot reject them based on any of the protected grounds above  even if you believe the criterion is relevant.
• Document every rejection decision. Write a brief note explaining why each unsuccessful applicant was not selected, framed in terms of legitimate rental criteria. If a Human Rights Tribunal complaint is ever filed, your documentation needs to show the decision was based on verifiable objective criteria  not characteristics of the person.

The “no children” rule catches many landlords off guard. You cannot refuse to rent to a family with children in Ontario, period  even for a bachelor apartment (which may actually be too small, but you must allow the family to make that decision). You cannot ask how many children an applicant has or factor it into your decision.

Likewise, you cannot refuse to rent to someone receiving ODSP, Ontario Works, or other social assistance  income source is a protected ground in Ontario.

After Screening: Protecting Yourself Going Forward

Even with the most thorough screening, no selection process eliminates risk. Two services exist specifically to manage the financial risk that remains:

1. Rent guarantee program: If a tenant you’ve placed stops paying, a rent guarantee program covers the unpaid rent  providing financial continuity while the LTB process works through the system.
2. Rent insurance: Rent insurance provides income replacement during a tenant default and eviction, covering the gap between when rent stops and when you can re-let the unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I refuse to rent to someone on Ontario Works or ODSP? 

No. Under Ontario’s Human Rights Code, the receipt of public assistance is a protected ground. You cannot refuse to rent to someone solely because their income source is government assistance. You can apply income sufficiency criteria (e.g. 2.5x rent)  but it must be applied consistently to all applicants regardless of income source.

Q: Can I ask how many people will live in the unit?

Yes  the number of occupants is a legitimate question related to the suitability of the unit and municipal occupancy standards. You cannot, however, make decisions based on the family composition (e.g. refusing because children are included).

Q: Is it legal to run a credit check without the tenant’s permission? 

No. Under PIPEDA, a credit check requires the written consent of the individual. Your rental application should include a clear authorization clause for this purpose.

Q: What do I do if two applicants have similar profiles? 

Apply a consistent decision-making framework (credit score, income multiple, reference quality) and document your rationale. Legitimate tie-breaking criteria include: first to apply, strongest reference, income most comfortably above threshold. Never use a protected characteristic  explicitly or implicitly  as a tie-breaker.

Let a Professional Handle the Full Screening Process

Thorough screening takes time  and cutting any step creates risk that follows you for the entire tenancy. Our tenant screening and selection service handles every component: identity verification, credit checks, income confirmation, employment verification, and landlord reference calls  so you start every tenancy with confidence.

• Tenant screening and selection:  complete screening handled on your behalf.   
• Residential leasing service: marketing, screening, and lease execution in one service.   
• Rent guarantee program:  financial protection after placement.   
• Rent insurance:  income protection during a default and eviction

 This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Human Rights Code interpretations are subject to change and vary by circumstance. Consult a licensed legal professional for advice specific to your situation.