What screening criteria are legal in Alberta?
- Verified income at or above a published threshold (e.g., 3x monthly rent), applied identically to all applicants regardless of income source.
- Credit report review with a consistent minimum score threshold.
- Two previous landlord references confirming on-time payment.
- Employment or income stability documented through pay stubs, employment letter, or Notice of Assessment.
- Identification verification (government-issued photo ID).
- Rental history including any eviction record.
What is prohibited under the Alberta Human Rights Act?
- Refusing an applicant because their income is from AISH, other disability benefits, income supports, or a rental subsidy program.
- Setting higher income requirements for benefit recipients than for wage earners.
- Refusing to rent to a family with children (family status).
- Refusing to rent based on race, ancestry, place of origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age (18+), or marital status.
- Refusing to allow a service animal or medical accommodation for a tenant with a disability (duty to accommodate).
How to reject an applicant without exposure
Publish written screening criteria before the property is listed. Apply the same criteria to every applicant. When you decline, put the reason in writing citing the specific objective criterion the applicant failed (for example: "verified household income of $4,200 per month did not meet our published 3x rent threshold of $5,400 per month"). Save the application, the credit report, and the rejection letter for at least 2 years. This documentation is the landlord's primary defence if a rejected applicant files an Alberta Human Rights Commission complaint.
Sources
- Alberta Human Rights Commission, "Rental housing" page (albertahumanrights.ab.ca/issues-with-housing/rental-housing).
- Alberta Human Rights Commission, "Protected grounds" page (albertahumanrights.ab.ca/what-are-human-rights/about-human-rights/protected-grounds).
- Alberta Human Rights Act, RSA 2000, c. A-25.5.