You cannot deny entry into your rental unit to a landlord, authorized broker or salesperson if you received a Notice of Entry. #375 - 20 Eglinton Avenue EToronto, ONM4P 1A6. a Job letter or an Employment Verification Letter is aletter that shows the employees name, job position, tenure, and income. [Updated August 2022] Must-Have Checklists For First-Time Landlords. Prepare your last 3 paystubs. +91-9879950702 Monday - Friday 10:00 - 7:30 Rakhiyal, Ahmedabad, Gujarat . What are my legal rights as a landlord for renters with pets? You don't have to significantly interrupt your otherwise busy life. You don't have to disclose it, but if the condo has no pets in their declaration (not just a rule) you can be kicked out for having them. A landlord can ask, however, for the names of all people who will be living at the rental, and can require all adults to sign the lease or rental agreement. Personal Finance and Travel Rewards Expert Contributor. Also a landlord cannot demand postdated cheques. A landlord may use this information to assist with credit checks, but there is different information that they can use if providing your SIN makes you uncomfortable. Some products and services that appear on this site are from companies from which Canadabuzz receives compensation. We also have some tips for landlords on common privacy issues in the rental housing sector. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); As a renter, what is the most frustrating part of renting? Even though asking them a question directly may seem less intrusive, you still need to keep topics within the bounds of whats outlined by the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the RTA. Can we ask the landlord for a copy of their driver's license and proof of ownership? Is a landlord normally supposed to ask for photocopies of all my pieces of ID? If the landlord insists, you could suggest that they contact the OPC. Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for. For a landlord, taking you on as a tenant is a gamble. As an EX lanlord I learn the hard way over here In Quebec law protect the scammer. Press J to jump to the feed. Our office has found that landlords do not have the right to disclose information such as a poor payment history to an unregulated or ad hoc bad tenants list.. Allrightsreserved. Why doesn't the TTC have security guards? Preparing these documents before applying for a place bring you peace of mind and you are more likely to get the place. Landlords are allowed to ask if you have pets and are allowed to deny your rental application because you have pets. Keeping a photo of a persons ID, for example, is subject to the law as it is considered collection of personal information. No the landlord is not legally required to provide you copy of their ID. Its reasonable to expect landlords to ask potential tenants for certain types of personal information like proof of income, references or identification. Freelance writer specializing in personal finance and travel content, Cost of Living for International Students, condominium, an apartment, a house, or another type of dwelling, file a Human Rights Complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Canada, 20 Computer Desks for Canadian Consumers: A Buyers Guide, Navigating the Canadian Loan Landscape: A Guide to Borrowing Money in 2023. The landlord may ask for a copy of that. When looking for an apartment in Ontario, youll often find that landlords request a hefty amount of information from you. If you don't get a good answer, you can refuse. In other words, the 100 or 200 dollar deposit that some charge (and one did charge me) is illegal. Yes, you can require renters insurance as long as there is a condition in your lease that states as such. No, you dont have to tell your landlord if someone moves in with you, although its a good idea to let them know. Dine in only, [Amazon.ca] if you have pets. They may ask to see: an employment contract or letter from your employer. In Ontario a secruity amount is illegal. Can a tenant refuse entry to landlord Ontario during Covid? If renters resist the idea, be sure to explain that it's their belongings that are being protected! My last one didn't ask any more than that I show him my passport and other ID and he write down the numbers and the first one didn't ask for anything at all. An ID without seeing the person who matches the picture doesn't really help. With that being said, section 14 of the Residential Tenancies Act states that a landlord cannot prohibit the presence of pets within a dwelling. Can my landlord ask me for a copy of drivers license Ontario? I dont see the big deal.. many high rise apartment buildings do the same. He said if I am too busy in August traveling and stuff and can't come in 3 weeks, I can wait and give all those things like copies when I move in september 1st. Any time you click to our partner websites or register for a product or services through an affiliate link on our website, we may earn a commission at ZERO cost to you. Why do rental applications ask for bank info? Looking for a credit card? Can you clarify what you mean by the damage deposit being illegal? If you are asked for your SIN, you can ask why the landlord needs it, how it will be used and to whom it will be given. The Act also states that anything in a lease that violates the Act is void. Looking for the right auto insurance plan? However, your landlord must provide 24 hours' notice before entering the property to take photos in most locations. Most of the time you need a recent one. To clarify, a landlord can ask for your SIN when completing an application to rent a property or negotiating a lease with a landlord, according to the Government of Canadas website. A landlord can ask questions related to the tenancy so long as they don't . One area of typical concern is tenant privacy rights. Pro tip: In Canada, you are protected by Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act(PIPEDA) and its important to know a bit about this protection yourself. What documents can a landlord ask for in Ontario? Landlord Protection Agency: Ten Stupid Things That Landlords Do, Nolo.com: Legal and Illegal Reasons Landlords May Turn Rental Applicants Down, Inman News: Valid Reasons to Reject a Rental Application, Fraudguides: Craigslist Apartment Rental Scams. What can a landlord ask for on a rental application in Ontario? Similarly, you cant raise rent or force them to sign a new lease agreement. recent payslips or bank statements. If it is the owner showing, however unusual it may be, it's still not unheard of. This means that a landlord can turn away an applicant or potential tenant if they do not want pets in their dwelling. For information on renting in Ontario, refer to these resource posts about leases and evictions. Are you local or inquiring from out of town? Lots of people renting out condos posing as a tenant then listing them on air bnb, resulting in property damage and violations of the condo laws. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Rental dictionary: 75 essential terms for renters & landlords, Landlord guide: renting out your house with a mortgage, Rental inspection checklist for landlords. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) generally recommends that individuals do not give the SIN to a private-sector organization unless there is a legal requirement to do so. If a landlord requests any information pertaining to the above mentioned topics, you should not answer. Display posts from previous: All postsLast dayLast 7 daysLast 2 weeksLast monthLast 3 months6 MonthsLast year, Sort by AuthorPost time PIPEDA only allows organizations to deny access to personal information in certain circumstances, for example if information is protected by solicitor-client privilege. Part 2: What do you need when applying for a rental? There may also be individual Human Rights Tribunals based on which province you are located in. Questions a landlord can ask . Subscribe to receive the latest tenant & landlord tips and get notified about changes in the Canadian rental market. There had been quite a bit of fraud been going around where people were defrauding people. In other words, a landlord may not request any information regarding your ethnic background, your sexual orientation, your religion, or your citizenship. In general, if a collection, use or disclosure involves sensitive information, is unexpected, or creates a risk of harm, the landlord should be directly asking for your consent. Read our Privacy policy and Terms and conditions of use to find out more about your privacy and rights when using the priv.gc.ca website or contacting the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. That's weird. One of the first steps is to prepare the following documents that most of the Landlords or their real estate agents are looking for. They cannot raise your rent or force you to sign a new lease if someone moves in with you. A pay stub, which most people who work corporate jobs receive at the end of each pay period, is the most common form of proof of income. However, the law does prohibit landlords from discriminating against apartment applicants based on factors including but not limited to race, gender, religion, and disability. Pay stubs. 6- Copy of valid government-issued photo ID (s) You need to show at least a piece valid government-issued photo ID to the landlord or the real estate agent, such as Drivers's License , State issued photo ID , Passport. Answer (1 of 6): There is no reason why you can not ask a landlord for ID. PIPEDA sets out the ground rules for how businesses, including landlords, must handle personal information in the course of commercial activity. Toronto certainly isn't known for having the cheapest rent in Canada. Choosing a tenant is a big decision and requires due diligence. Sounds like they're going for identity theft. . His website is frasersherman.com. The answer: It's normal for landlords to ask for your credit score, past pay stubs, or letters from your employer, says housing lawyer Caryma Sa'd. Anything that deals with your income,. All rights reserved. As mentioned only first and last months rent. Proof of identity a driving licence or passport. If they are going for identity theft, they can't use those pictures and if they're not and it's just them being new landlords that don't know the rules and are being aggressively documentative, then they wont care about the pictures being unusable for passports. In other areas, such as BC (British Columbia), landlords may request . Landlords are required to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canadas federal private sector privacy law, or provincial legislation deemed to be substantially similar. Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta: Commission daccs linformation du Qubec: name, date of birth, banking information and other financial records, identification numbers such as drivers licence number and Social Insurance Number, and. If you dont get a good answer, you can refuse. One exception is in condos where any strata rules banning pets are upheld. Asking about a persons age, disabilities, religion, sexual orientation, place of origin, family status or gender expression are considered personal questions that interfere with their rights under the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you're responding to a less formal advertisement, such as a Craigslist post rather than a rental company listing, be extremely careful. So there you have it - a clear answer to the question of whether a landlord can ask for your driver's license (they can) along with helpful tips on how to navigate the request when you don't have one and a . To determine that you have been in good standing with previous landlords, a new landlord may request a references to ensure there is no history of late or unpaid rental payments, damages to previous properties in your name, or other important circumstances to consider relating to your tenant record. Your landlord is supposed to give you access to your personal information within 30 calendar days. Yes, landlords can refuse to rent to people in Ontario as long as they're following the Ontario Human Rights Code and Residential Tenancies Act, which afford renters some protections against discrimination based on age, race, family status et cetera. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. No, you cant require to know if someone new moves in with an existing renter. state what day and time they will enter (between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.). Yes, but you should only use an applicant's photo ID to verify his or her identity and/or to check on criminal history, rental history, or credit history. If you don't get a good answer, you can refuse. Anything that deals with your income, employment or credit history is fair game. Asking for information surrounding someones passport, drivers license, employer, income and expenses are not needed to complete a credit check, but you can ask for these items for the purposes of: ensuring the credit check is being done on the correct person and not someone with the same name and date of birth, Request a guarantor if you are asking all other prospective tenants for one. The landlords details including their service address. If, for example, the landlord requests a credit score based on the tenants behalf, this information must be made available to the tenant if requested. ReloRealEstateGroup.com - Your turn-key relocation resource! However, our team strives to bring you quality, unbiased information. 3 weeks past and I WAS still busy in and outside of Toronto, now back visiting Barrie and he sent an email saying if you don't send the things before September, I can't rent to you, contradicting what he said 3 weeks ago. Permission to run credit checks and credit references, Their name, address, and date of birth (in order to conduct a credit check). What is the most livable city in the world 2021? Your email address will not be published. Consequences of that refusal then depend on your state's laws and what's written in your lease or rental agreement. All you can eat crepes . What Information Is A Landlord Allowed to Ask For? The landlord gets the documents. The law requires that the purpose be one that a reasonable person would consider appropriate. I would avoid if you can. This could be a common rental scam. Under PIPEDA, you have a general right to access your own personal information held by a landlord. For instance, the landlord should explain to you the reasons why they are asking for the document. Worth noting: you cant ask someone if they smoke, but you can still include in the lease agreement that the property being rented is non-smoking. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Required fields are marked *. A pay stub isa document that summarizes the amounts that you receive in a paycheck. Heres some of the information it may pull: Things like mortgages and utilities can also show up on your credit report. Applying For A Rental In Ontario Part 1: What's A Standard Rental Application? Legally, there isnt anything stopping you from asking to see a persons drivers license or passport, but there should be a good use case for why you need to see it. Just because someone asks for your SIN, it doesnt mean that you have to provide it. I should be able to enjoy Barrie as he earlier assured me I can without problem about dates. They've asked for a picture too, but that doesn't help much. Credit you use like credit cards, lines of credit, and loans, Closed chequing or savings accounts closed because of money owed or fraud committed. So while a tenant can technically turn away an applicant for having a pet, they legally arent supposed to. For example, if a landlord should ask for a bank statement, they must disclose what they wish to use that information for. In these cases, you are under no obligation to provide your SIN. But thats only for buildings built before November 15, 2018. Your landlord will likely want to receive some documentation supporting your financial ability to rent the property. Learn more at our resource centre. Is it standard for owner to ask for a copy of passport/ID before showing the unit? For residential units occupied for the first time after November 15, 2018, you can raise rent more than what is allowed by rent control. If you provide your bank account number to your landlord, then they are obligated to keep that information confidential and your bank will not disclose your balance to them. financial obligations, personal references, and the make and model of your car(s). In Ontario, residential landlord premiums average around $900/year for a house and $400/year for a condo/apartment. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is an Agent of Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights. In most states, landlords can include a question about whether the applicant has previously been convicted of a crime. He lives in Durham NC with his awesome wife and two wonderful dogs. If they want that, tell them you don't think that's correct for them to ask and see what they say. Opinions expressed on this blog are NOT endorsed by the reviewed brands. Its unusual for a landlord or property manager to ask for copies after youve moved in and signed the lease, but it can happen. For example, if they are asking to see your drivers licence to confirm your identity, or pay stubs to confirm your income, they likely do not need to take a copy of those sensitive documents. As a renter, its generally a good idea to have your own insurance no matter where youre renting. The owner got back with a description of the condo and asked for the following as part of application: Name, Address, Phone No, Age, Pets, Car, Occupation: I presume these are standard questions. It is fraudulent. Bank statements are very private. Privacy law does not prevent such requests. A rental application is something that you fill out when applying for a rental property. Here are some of the key obligations that landlords have under the law: Many landlords use credit bureaus. This is legal; however, you are not required by law to provide it. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This means that there are laws surrounding what a landlord can and cannot ask you. Its equally important to know what you cant ask for on a rental application. If you have nothing to hide I'm not sure what the big deal is since there's not much that can be done with just a copy. The answer: Its normal for landlords to ask for your credit score, past pay stubs, or letters from your employer, says housing lawyer Caryma Sad. A credit check will give the prospective landlord information about your ability to pay the rent. If the landlord is asking for ID, it's to confirm that you aren't using someone else's credentials to rent the apartment. Save your chat history & signed documents all in one platform. This is why we have created a list of necessary documents that every California landlord needs to keep in an easy to find file.10 Most Important California Landlord Documents to Keep On Hand. However, our team strives to bring you quality, unbiased information. Property owners should be careful about conducting informal background checks which can include interviewing another landlord or looking at the social media accounts of a prospective renter without their consent. Income information can only be considered on its own when no other information is made available, and only to make sure you earn enough to pay the rent. Reasonable to ask for ID, if you have actually met the person. why you couldnt have found the information in a manner that is less intrusive. Name. These questions include: Age - Landlords cannot inquire as to how old you are and are unable to refuse to rent to you on these grounds. That seems reasonable to me. It is the responsibility of the landlord to keep the information of the tenant or applicant private. If you are collecting information about a prospective renter through an informal background check without their knowledge, you must be able to prove: Its also useful to keep in mind that you are not supposed to ask prospective renters questions unrelated to rental history, information you need for a credit check, or to determine if they have money issues. Your email address will not be published. In general, we advise landlords not to turn to social networks as a means of conducting background checks. For details about other laws that apply to rental issues, please see Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporations Renting in Canada information. eviction, lease agreements, repairs & maintenance), subscribe to get the latest news. To run a credit check, the landlord would need, at a minimum: Some landlords may also ask for your drivers license, passport, employer, income and expenses on a rental application. If you can't afford the rent or disappear when it comes due, your landlord loses out. For more information regarding the Ontario Human Rights Code, see ohrc.on.ca. Applying For A Rental In Ontario Part 4: How Do I Fill Out A Rental Application? If you are self-employed, thats great. ID isnt necessarily strange, but they shouldnt be specifically asking for a passport. Other laws may apply to some situations. One of the ways we get rewarded is via ads and affiliates. What credit score do I need to rent a flat? They must obtain an individual's consent when they collect, use or disclose that persons personal information (except in limited, defined circumstances set out in the law.). Required fields are marked *. Maybe it's their way of weeding out people who are not serious?