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Over telephone...
Note:
- the telephone number
- the name of the person to whom you speak
- whether the person is the owner, the superintendant, the tenant, the building
manager, other?
Don't forget:
- to obtain information about the apartment (number of rooms, rent$/month, heated/unheated,
date on which it will be vacant)
- to make an appointment
- to save the newspaper ad containing information about the apartment
Important
What you want is information about the apartment. You are not to provide information
about yourself over the telephone. If asked, say that you have good references
that you will bring with you.
Were you refused the apartment over the telephone?
- If you are refused an appointment when you call, and you believe this is because
of your ethnic or national origin, or because of your language, ask a friend who
is of a different ethnic or national origin to call.
- If that person obtains an appointment to visit the same apartment, call the
Commission
des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse immediately. You will
be told what to do.
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Remember to bring
with you…
References
- from your present landlord or former landlords;
- from a reliable person (member of the clergy, minister, bank or caisse manager....).
Proofs of payment of:
- rent, electricity, heating, gas, telephone...
The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse believes
that these documents should be sufficient to prove that you can pay the rent requested
regularly.
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When visiting…
Note:
- the name of the person you see
- whether this person is the owner, the superintendant, the manager of the building,
the tenant, other
- the telephone number.
- the name of the owner or of the company which owns the apartment
- the date of the visit, the time
If you believe that you could be the victim of discrimination, go with someone
you know who can be your witness if you decide to file a complaint.
Important
Over the telephone or at the time of the visit, get all the necessary information
about the apartment. If you had obtained prior information over the telephone,
check it against the information given at the time of your visit, to see whether
or not they match. Note the address.
Follow this advice
- Ask to visit the apartment before you discuss anything with the person in
charge.
- If you are interested in the apartment, say that you want to rent it. The
owner then has the right to verify whether you pay your rent regularly and how
many people will live in the apartment.
- To prove that you can pay the rent, present your references and proofs of
payments of bills.
- If the owner asks about your marital status, your social insurance number,
your passport number, your source of income, etc., answer if you wish, and tell
the truth. However remember that your private life is none of his business. The
important thing for him is to make sure that you will pay your rent regularly.
- If he asks you to complete a form and says that he will contact you, call
again yourself in a few days and note his answers each time you call.
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Are
you refused the apartment?
The apartment suits you and you are ready to sign
the lease, but the owner or the building superintendant starts talking about a
waiting list... postpones the decision... does not say yes or no...
You have the clear impression that he is actually trying to refuse to rent the
apartment to you because:
- you are Black, Asian, a Native person...
- you have children or you are pregnant
- you are a single parent head of family
- you are a welfare recipient
- you are living with someone without being married
or for another reason such as your sex, sexual orientation, handicap, ethnic or
national origin, religion, language, age...
You may also be told explicitly that you have been refused the apartment for one
of those reasons. In this case, you are the victim of discrimination and you can
lodge a complaint.
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What can be done?
Try to find out why the owner or the building superintendant
refuses to rent the apartment to you.
Note:
- the reason given explicitly or implicitly. Stay calm. Remember that quarrelling
with him may prevent you from taking notes of his arguments and
could put you at a disadvantage if you decided to lodge a complaint.
If the owner or the building superintendant tells you that he
refuses for one of the reasons mentioned in the other point;
- tell him that, under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, he has
no right to refuse for that reason, and that you could lodge a
complaint against him because his refusal is illegal;
- if that is not sufficient to make him change his mind, call the Commission
des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse as soon as you can and
explain what happened using this record sheet.
If you can't find out why he refuses to rent the apartment to you, there are associations
and organizations that can help you.
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Who can
help you?
To obtain information as to how to defend your rights
and to receive assistance, you can contact
- an association which defends tenants' rights in your neighbourhood;
- a group which advocates on behalf of people who are more susceptible of being
the victims of discrimination, like a women's group, an ethnic association, an
organization defending welfare recipients or handicapped persons...
If you wish to lodge a complaint of discrimination or harassment prohibited by
the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, call
the office of the Commission des droits de la personne et des
droits de la jeunesse in your region.
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Addresses
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