10 Tenant Screening Tips for Ontario Landlords
By Summitly Editorial·Reviewed by Coldwell Banker Summit Realty, a RECO-registered Ontario brokerage
Quick answer
Effective tenant screening in Ontario means applying consistent, business-related criteria to every applicant while respecting the Ontario Human Rights Code. Use a written application, run a credit check with the applicant's written consent, verify income and employment, contact landlord references, and watch for fraud red flags, but never reject or treat applicants differently based on protected grounds such as family status, disability, age or receipt of public assistance. A uniform, documented process protects you legally and helps you choose reliable tenants.
1. Start with a complete written application
Every screening process should begin with a standardized written rental application that you give to all applicants in the same form. Collecting the same information from everyone, such as employment, income, rental history and references, is the foundation of a fair, defensible process and makes it far easier to compare applicants on legitimate criteria rather than on impressions.
A consistent application also creates a paper trail. If a declined applicant ever questions your decision, being able to show that everyone completed the identical form and was assessed on the same business-related factors is your strongest evidence that you screened lawfully under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Summitly's tenant screening tools at /landlords/tenant-screening let you collect applications in a structured, uniform way.
- Use the same application form for every applicant
- Capture employment, income, rental history and references
- Keep completed applications as your compliance record
2. Always get written consent before a credit check
A credit check is one of the most useful screening tools because it shows whether an applicant has a history of paying obligations on time. But you must obtain the applicant's express written consent before pulling their credit, and you should only use a reputable, consent-based service. Running someone's credit without permission is both improper and a privacy risk.
Read the report for patterns rather than a single number: a history of missed payments, accounts in collections, or recent insolvency tells you more than a one-time dip. Remember that a thin credit file is common for newcomers and young renters and is not, by itself, a lawful reason to reject someone; weigh it alongside income and references rather than as an automatic disqualifier.
- Obtain express written consent before any credit pull
- Look for payment patterns, collections and insolvency, not one figure
- Do not auto-reject newcomers for a thin credit file
3. Verify income, but do not use it as a rigid cut-off
Confirming that an applicant has stable, sufficient income to afford the rent is a legitimate part of screening. Ask for recent pay stubs, an employment letter, or, for self-employed applicants, tax documents or bank statements, and verify the details directly where reasonable. Consistent income verification applied to everyone is good practice.
Ontario human rights guidance cautions against using income as a rigid, standalone cut-off, such as a strict rent-to-income ratio, because it can have a discriminatory effect on people who receive public assistance or who fall within other protected groups. The recommended approach is to consider income together with credit history and rental references, rather than screening anyone out on an income threshold alone.
- Request pay stubs, employment letters or self-employed records
- Apply the same verification standard to every applicant
- Consider income alongside credit and references, not as a sole cut-off
4. Contact current and former landlord references
Past rental behaviour is one of the best predictors of future behaviour, which is why landlord references are so valuable. Ask the current and a previous landlord whether rent was paid on time, whether the unit was kept in reasonable condition, whether there were significant complaints, and whether they would rent to the applicant again.
Be alert to a subtle red flag: a current landlord who is suspiciously eager to give a glowing reference may simply want a problem tenant gone. Where you can, prioritize the previous landlord, who has no incentive to mislead you, and ask open-ended questions that invite specifics rather than yes-or-no answers.
- Ask about payment history, unit condition and complaints
- Favour a previous landlord, who has no motive to mislead
- Use open questions that invite specific, verifiable answers
5. Verify employment independently
Income documents can be fabricated, so it is worth confirming employment directly with the employer rather than relying solely on a letter the applicant hands you. Call the main company line you find independently, not just a number printed on the reference letter, and confirm that the person works there and that the role and basic details match what was stated.
For self-employed or gig-economy applicants, employment verification looks different: bank statements showing regular deposits, a notice of assessment, or business registration can substantiate income. The point is to corroborate the story through an independent channel, applied consistently to everyone whose income you verify.
- Confirm employment through an independently sourced phone number
- Match the role and details to what the applicant stated
- For self-employed applicants, use bank statements or tax documents
6. Screen only on Human Rights Code-compliant criteria
This is the rule that governs all the others. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, you cannot refuse to rent to someone, or apply different standards, because of protected grounds including race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, family status, disability, or receipt of public assistance.
In practice this means your criteria must be business-related and applied identically to everyone: ability to pay the rent, credit and rental history, and accurate information. You cannot ask whether an applicant plans to have children, where they are from, what their religion is, or whether they have a disability, and you cannot steer families away from certain units. When in doubt, ask only about things that bear directly on the tenancy and treat every applicant the same way.
- Never screen on race, origin, creed, sex, family status, disability or assistance
- Limit questions to ability to pay and rental history
- Apply identical standards to every applicant, every time
7. Watch for fraud and document red flags
Application fraud is real, and a few checks catch most of it. Look for inconsistencies across documents, such as a pay stub whose employer does not match the reference letter, fonts or formatting that look altered, round-number incomes that never vary, or an applicant who resists any independent verification. A reference phone number that goes to a personal cell rather than a business line deserves a second look.
Cross-check the identity against government-issued photo identification and make sure the name matches the application, the credit consent and the income documents. None of these checks single out any protected group; they simply confirm that the person and the paperwork are genuine, and you should apply them to every applicant uniformly.
- Cross-check documents for mismatched names, employers and formatting
- Be wary of references that route to personal cell numbers
- Verify identity against photo ID, consistently for everyone
8. Meet the applicant and view the interaction professionally
A viewing or interview is a normal part of renting and gives you a sense of how an applicant communicates and follows through, for example whether they show up on time, come prepared with documents, and ask reasonable questions. Treat it as a professional interaction focused on the tenancy, not the person's background.
Keep the conversation to legitimate topics: the unit, the lease terms, move-in timing, and the applicant's questions. Avoid any small talk that drifts toward protected grounds, such as family plans, country of origin or religion, because even casual questions in those areas can create a perception of discrimination. Let your written, consistent criteria, not a gut feeling, drive the final decision.
- Use the viewing to assess preparedness and follow-through
- Keep questions focused on the unit and lease terms
- Avoid casual talk that touches protected grounds
9. Handle guarantors and roommates consistently
Where an applicant's income or credit is borderline, a guarantor or co-signer can make a tenancy work, particularly for students and newcomers who may have a thin file but reliable backing. If you accept guarantors, do so on consistent terms and screen the guarantor on the same business-related basis as a primary applicant, with their written consent for any credit check.
For roommate or multiple-occupant situations, decide in advance how you will assess the group, for example combined income and each adult's references, and apply that policy uniformly. Be careful that occupancy expectations do not become a back-door way to discriminate on family status; assess the household on legitimate criteria, not on assumptions about who 'should' live in the unit.
- Offer guarantors on consistent terms with written consent
- Screen co-applicants on the same business-related criteria
- Do not let occupancy rules become family-status discrimination
10. Document the decision and store data responsibly
Once you decide, keep a record of the legitimate, business-related reasons behind it, especially for declined applicants. If a decision is ever questioned, contemporaneous notes showing you assessed everyone on the same criteria are your best protection. Never base a record, or a decision, on a protected ground.
Applicant files contain sensitive personal and financial information, so store them securely, limit access, and dispose of data you no longer need rather than holding it indefinitely. Using a structured platform such as Summitly's tenant screening at /landlords/tenant-screening helps you keep applications, consents and decisions organized and consistent, which supports both better choices and Human Rights Code compliance.
- Record the legitimate reasons behind each decision
- Store sensitive applicant data securely and limit retention
- Use a structured process to keep screening consistent and compliant
Key takeaways
- Run every applicant through the same written application and the same business-related criteria.
- Get written consent before credit checks, and verify income and employment through independent channels.
- Consider income alongside credit and references, never as a rigid standalone cut-off.
- Never screen on Human Rights Code grounds such as family status, disability, age or receipt of public assistance.
- Catch fraud by cross-checking documents and identity, applied uniformly to everyone.
- Document decisions and store applicant data securely to support compliance.
Frequently asked
Can I ask an applicant for their income in Ontario?+
Yes, you can ask for and verify income, but you should not use income alone as a rigid cut-off, such as a strict rent-to-income ratio, because that can discriminate against people receiving public assistance or other protected groups. Consider income together with credit history and rental references.
Do I need consent to run a credit check?+
Yes. You must obtain the applicant's express written consent before running a credit check, and you should use a reputable, consent-based service. A thin credit file, common for newcomers and young renters, is not by itself a lawful reason to reject an applicant.
What questions are off-limits when screening tenants?+
Avoid any question tied to Human Rights Code grounds, including family plans or whether the applicant has children, country of origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, or whether they receive public assistance. Limit questions to ability to pay and rental history.
Can I refuse tenants who receive public assistance?+
No. Receipt of public assistance is a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, so you cannot refuse an applicant for that reason. Assess everyone on the same business-related criteria such as credit, references and overall ability to meet the tenancy obligations.
Is asking for a guarantor allowed?+
Yes, requiring a guarantor or co-signer is allowed when applied consistently, and it can help applicants with a thin file, such as students or newcomers. Screen the guarantor on the same business-related criteria, with written consent for any credit check, and offer the option on uniform terms.