For Rent Without Discrimination
Can a landlord select tenants based on personal characteristics such as age, children, or ethnic or national origin? No. The Charter prohibits discrimination in housing and imposes legal obligations on landlords.
The campaign tools help you understand these obligations from rental advertisement and selection as well as when tenants live in the unit.
This video imitates a reality show by featuring prospective tenants who must compete to obtain housing.
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Prohibited grounds of discrimination
These 14 personal characteristics are prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. This is what ensures the right to equality for all in housing.
- Race
It is a way of classifying humans according to physical or cultural criteria, without a scientific basis.
- Colour
It's the color of your skin.
- Sex
It is for example the fact of being a woman or a man.
- Gender identity or gender expression
It's the gender you identify with. For example, being a trans or non-binary person.
- Pregnancy
It's the fact of being pregnant and having a baby. This ground also includes everything related to pregnancy, such as health monitoring and maternity leave.
- Sexual orientation
It is the emotional or sexual attraction to someone. For example, being heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual.
- Civil status (presence of children)
It's your family status. It includes several situations, including being single, married, divorced or in a common-law relationship and whether or not you have children.
- Age
The law may provide for a minimum age for certain rights, without discrimination. For example, you must be at least 18 years old to vote or buy alcohol.
- Religion
This may include your religion or beliefs, as well as not having a religion.
- Political convictions
These are the political ideas with which you firmly believe and with which you identify.
- Language
It may be your mother tongue or another language you speak at home, at work or elsewhere. It may also be your accent.
- Ethnic or national origin
These are your cultural characteristics or nationality.
- Social condition
These may include your occupation, income (e.g., being registered in a social assistance program), education or homelessness.
- Disability
Disability includes a person's physical, mental or psychological limitations. It also includes ways to reduce its effects, such as using a wheelchair or using a guide dog.
- Race
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Tools
Tools for landlords
- Web page Your obligations | Landlords
- Frequently asked questions from landlords
- Poster For Rent Without Discrimination
- Aide-mémoire sur les droits de la personne en matière de logement (French only)
- Formation Les droits de la personne en matière de logement (French only)
Tools for tenants
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Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the most common questions that we receive about landlords’ obligations from landlords and tenants or people looking for housing.
Discrimination when renting a home
Gabriel found a clean and affordable apartment close to his son’s school. The owner seemed willing to rent to him, but then changed his mind after asking Gabriel about his job. When he learned that Gabriel was on social assistance, he refused to rent him the apartment. The landlord cannot refuse to rent the unit to Gabriel for the reason that he is unemployed. This is discrimination on the basis of social condition.