5 Questions to Avoid Asking Rental Applicants
Screening should stay focused on the tenancy. Questions about an applicant's background, beliefs, or personal life can feel like harmless small talk, but personal curiosity isn't a valid rental criterion, and some of these questions touch on grounds protected under the Alberta Human Rights Act.
The good news: each of these questions has a better alternative that gets you the tenancy-related information you actually need.
Why these questions cause problems
In Alberta, landlords can't discriminate against applicants or tenants on protected grounds, which include race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical and mental disability, age (with some exceptions), ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status, and sexual orientation. Asking about these topics can:
Suggest bias: even if the answer doesn't affect your decision, the question can make it look like it did.
Create risk: a question that shouldn't have been asked can lead to a human rights complaint.
Distract from what matters: time spent on personal details is time not spent verifying income, rental history, and fit.
5 questions to avoid asking rental applicants
1. "Where are you really from?"
Race, ancestry, and place of origin are protected grounds. Ask only for the identity and contact information your process requires, and ask every applicant for the same thing.
2. "Are you planning to have children?"
Family status and pregnancy shouldn't shape a rental decision. If occupancy matters, ask who will live in the home and apply the same occupancy standards to every applicant.
3. "What religion do you follow?"
Religious beliefs are protected. If a property rule is relevant, discuss the rule itself and apply it consistently, without asking about beliefs.
4. "Do you have a disability?"
Don't ask. If an applicant chooses to raise an accommodation need, focus on that need and follow the proper accommodation process.
5. "What kind of income support do you receive?"
Source of income is protected. You can verify the amount and reliability of an applicant's income using a lawful, consistent process, without screening based on where it comes from.
Ask this instead
Before any screening question, ask yourself: What tenancy-related fact do I need to confirm, and would I ask the same question of a comparable applicant? If the answer isn't clear, leave the question out.
Keep written criteria close
A clear checklist helps keep irrelevant personal details out of the decision. Common screening criteria include:
Income verification
Rental history
Credit report
Background check
Eviction history
Employment history
For questions that do belong in your process, see 8 Questions to Ask a Prospective Tenant.
Frequently asked questions
Can I ask where an applicant works?
Yes. Employment and income verification are tenancy-related, as long as you apply the same process to every comparable applicant.
What if an applicant volunteers personal information?
Don't build on it or let it factor into your decision. Bring the conversation back to the tenancy and your written criteria.
Can I refuse an applicant because they receive income support?
No. Source of income is a protected ground in Alberta. You can confirm that income is sufficient and reliable, but not refuse an applicant because of where it comes from.
Let Power Properties handle the details
At Power Properties, fair, consistent tenant screening is part of how we protect owners' investments and give tenants a better place to call home. If you'd like help managing your rental in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, or Medicine Hat, contact our team.
This article is general information and isn't legal advice. For the full requirements, see the Alberta Human Rights Commission's guidance on rental housing.
