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Rent Discrimination in Toronto

The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA), recently published it's study on unfair landlord practices in Toronto.

The 27-page report is eye-opening. In the summer of 2008 CERA used 20 volunteers to conduct audits of available rental places in Toronto. The volunteers were paired in a way that they matched on all criteria but the one that might lead to discrimination. CERA choose to test the following areas of potential discrimination: lone parents, Black lone parents, individuals with mental illness, South Asian people and individuals receiving social assistance.

CERA found "significant levels of discrimination" associated with each of the five tested.

The organization estimates, based on their results, "that approximately 1 in 4 households receiving social assistance, South Asian households, and Black lone parents experience moderate to severe discrimination when they inquire about an available apartment – discrimination that would act as a substantial barrier to accessing housing. When the housing seeker has a mental illness, our research finds that more than one third will experience discrimination."

CERA is a provincial non-profit organization established in 1987 to promote human rights in housing and challenge discrimination.

The methodology involved creating a standardized script that was similar with both callers, the caveat being that the condition(s) being tested was identified using an introductory sentence that identified to the landlord the test condition.

CERA reported that for their volunteers portraying someone on social assistance, it was common to hear, “I don’t take people from welfare. I’m sorry.”

Furthermore, CERA found that in this test condition the person calling was was subjected to extra application requirements (such as direct deposit from social services, co-signor or minimum income requirements) in 25% of their observations.

CERA's study provides proof that there is discrimination in the Ontario housing market.

Know your rights! That's key but also know when not to provide too much information to a landlord. No one can be evicted, legally in Ontario, because they are on social assistance or for having children. Once the unit is rented and one pays the rent on time and acts in a reasonable manner, without playing loud music at all hours for example, then it is possible to stay. CERA's study demonstrates the problem is getting the unit, one many in Ontario have had to deal with without a voice like CERA's to illustrate the blatant discrimination against renters possessing some conditions such as being on welfare, having a child, or racial discrimination.