ONTARIO HOME INTEL · LANDLORD SCREENING TOOL

Ontario Tenant Screening Checklist for Landlords

A step-by-step checklist for Ontario landlords to organize tenant screening consistently — from the rental application and consent through identity, credit, income, references, public records and the final decision.

The goal is not to create an automatic pass-or-fail score. Ontario landlords should use a consistent, bona fide and non-discriminatory process and obtain appropriate consent before sharing an applicant's personal information with a third-party credit or screening provider.

Print Tenant Screening Checklist

Free & Paid Tenant Screening Resources

For a comparison of credit-check, public-record and tenant-screening options, see our Best Tenant Screening Services in Ontario guide. It covers free resources such as OpenRoom and CanLII and paid screening providers such as SingleKey and FrontLobby.

Ontario Human Rights & Privacy Considerations

The Ontario Human Rights Commission states that landlords may request rental history, credit references and credit checks, but a lack of rental or credit history should not be viewed negatively. Income information should be considered together with available rental history and credit information, and arbitrary rent-to-income cutoffs should not be used as screening rules.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada advises that a prospective landlord must have consent before sharing an applicant's personal information with a third party such as a credit reporting agency for a credit check. It also notes that a Social Insurance Number should not be used as a general identifier and generally should not be required when another identifier will suffice.

Tenant Screening Checklist FAQ

Can an Ontario landlord run a credit check?

Yes. Credit checks can form part of a lawful screening process, but the applicant's permission should be obtained before personal information is shared with a credit reporting or screening organization.

Can a landlord require a SIN for a credit check?

A SIN should not be treated as a routine requirement. The federal privacy commissioner advises that applicants generally cannot be denied a service solely because they refuse to provide a SIN when another identifier can serve the legitimate purpose.

Can a landlord reject an applicant because they have no rental history?

A lack of rental history should not automatically be treated as negative rental history. Other available information should be considered as part of a bona fide assessment.

Should landlords use OpenRoom or CanLII as a tenant blacklist?

No. Public-record searches can be supplementary research, but a name match may be incomplete or relate to another person. Any record should be verified and considered in context.

General information only: This checklist is an educational and organizational aid, not legal advice or a guarantee that a screening process complies with all human-rights, privacy, credit-reporting or tenancy requirements. Verify current requirements and obtain professional advice when appropriate.