Renting your first apartment with no Canadian credit history
Renting your first apartment with no Canadian credit history
Housing is the item on the newcomer checklist with the most misinformation attached to it, and the one where knowing the rules changes the outcome most.
The core fact: you arrive with no Canadian credit history at all, and Ontario landlords check credit routinely. But the law limits what they can do about it.
What landlords may and may not do
In Ontario, a landlord may ask for:
- rental history and references
- credit references and a credit check (with your consent)
- income information — employment letter, pay stubs, job offer
- identification
A landlord may not:
- refuse you solely because you have no credit history. Ontario's rental regulation and the Ontario Human Rights Code address this directly — credit information may be considered together with income and references, not as a sole disqualifier. This exists specifically because newcomers, young people, and people leaving abusive situations all arrive without credit files.
- discriminate on grounds protected by the Human Rights Code — including place of origin, ethnic origin, citizenship, family status, receipt of public assistance, and others. "No newcomers", "no children", and "no students" are not lawful screening criteria.
- collect a damage deposit or security deposit. See below.
If you believe you have been refused unlawfully, the Ontario Human Rights Commission publishes guidance on rental housing and human rights.
Deposits: what is actually legal
This is where newcomers lose the most money, because the practices they are asked to accept are often simply not permitted.
| Deposit | Legal in Ontario? |
|---|---|
| Rent deposit — max one rent period (normally one month) | ✅ Yes. It must be applied to the last month of the tenancy, and it earns interest |
| Key deposit — refundable, reasonable, covering replacement cost | ✅ Yes |
| Damage deposit / security deposit | ❌ Generally not permitted |
| "First and last" (i.e. first month's rent + rent deposit) | ✅ This is the normal, legal arrangement |
| Six or twelve months of rent demanded up front | ❌ Generally not permitted as a requirement |
| Post-dated cheques demanded as a condition | ❌ A landlord may not require them |
A landlord cannot require rent paid many months in advance as a condition of renting to you. You may offer it voluntarily, and newcomers often do — but understand the difference between offering and being required, and understand that money handed over outside the legal framework can be very hard to recover.
Confirm all of this on ontario.ca, which sets out tenant rights in plain language.
The Ontario Standard Lease
Most private residential tenancies in Ontario must use the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease) — a government form, in plain language, that both parties sign.
Why this protects you:
- It is a fixed government template, so a landlord cannot bury unusual terms in a custom contract.
- Additional terms can be added, but terms that conflict with Ontario's rental law are void even if you signed them.
- If your landlord does not give you one, you can request it in writing, and the law provides consequences if they fail to supply it.
Some tenancy types are exempt — including certain co-ops, care homes, and some shared accommodation where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner. Check the exemptions before assuming.
We have a step-by-step guide to the form itself: Ontario Standard Lease autofill guide.
Building a strong application without credit
Since you cannot offer a credit score, offer completeness. Landlords screen for risk, and a thorough, organized application reduces perceived risk more than most newcomers expect.
Assemble a single package containing:
- Proof of income — a job offer letter, employment contract, or recent pay stubs. If you are not yet employed, a bank statement showing savings.
- Bank statement or proof of funds.
- Landlord references from your home country, with names, phone numbers and email addresses — and warn those landlords that they may be contacted.
- A short cover letter explaining that you are a recent arrival, that you have no Canadian credit file because you are a recent arrival, and what you are offering instead.
- Identification — passport, PR card or permit.
- Employment or study confirmation for your spouse, if applicable.
- Rental application form, completed in full — see Rental application autofill.
Send it as one tidy set. Applications arrive at busy landlords in fragments; a complete one stands out.
Before you sign
- See the unit in person, or have someone you trust see it. Sight-unseen rentals are the most common newcomer rental scam.
- Never send a deposit by e-transfer, wire or crypto before viewing and before you have a signed lease. If a "landlord" is abroad and cannot show you the unit, walk away.
- Confirm what is included — heat, hydro, water, parking, laundry, internet. Ontario winters make "heat included" a real number.
- Check the rent increase rules. Ontario limits annual increases for many units, with exemptions for newer buildings. Ask which applies.
- Photograph the unit's condition the day you move in, with dates.
- Get tenant insurance — often required by the lease, and inexpensive.
When something goes wrong
The Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) resolves disputes between landlords and tenants in Ontario. Both sides can apply. Free legal help is available through community legal clinics across the province, and settlement agencies can point you to the nearest one.
Our guides to the LTB forms are here: Ontario housing form guides.
How my-id.ca helps
Rental hunting means submitting the same application, with the same documents, to a dozen landlords in a week — each with a slightly different form and each wanting the same passport number, employment details, references, and family information.
my-id.ca stores the whole package once, encrypted on Canadian servers, and fills those details into rental applications automatically — web forms via the Chrome extension, PDFs in the app. It also keeps a record of what you shared and with whom, which is worth having when you have handed identity documents to ten strangers in a competitive rental market. See Rentals, utilities, and service sign-ups.
Next steps
- Documents you need when renting in Ontario
- Opening a Canadian bank account as a newcomer
- Ontario Standard Lease autofill guide
- First 90 days in Ontario: a newcomer's checklist
Important: this is general information, not legal advice
This article is general information to help you get organized — it is not legal, housing, immigration, or financial advice, and my-id.ca does not provide legal or professional consultation. my-id.ca is not a government agency, law firm, lawyer, paralegal, landlord, or licensed advisor, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, IRCC, or ServiceOntario.
Tenancy law, deposit rules, rent increase limits, exemptions and forms change over time and depend on your specific situation and the type of tenancy. Always confirm the current details on the official government sources (ontario.ca and canada.ca) before you sign or pay anything. For advice about your individual circumstances, consult a licensed lawyer or paralegal, a community legal clinic, or a government-funded settlement agency. If anything in this guide differs from an official source, the official source is correct.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a landlord in Ontario refuse me because I have no credit history?
- Landlords may ask for credit references, but under Ontario's Human Rights Code and its rental regulation, they may not refuse an applicant solely because they lack credit history — including newcomers. Income, references and credit may be considered together, not credit alone. Confirm current guidance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
- How much deposit can a landlord legally collect in Ontario?
- A rent deposit of no more than one rent period — normally one month — which must be applied to the last month of the tenancy, plus a refundable key deposit. Damage deposits, security deposits and demands for many months of rent up front are generally not permitted. Confirm on ontario.ca.
- Is the Ontario Standard Lease mandatory?
- Most private residential tenancies in Ontario that began after the standard lease was introduced must use the Residential Tenancy Agreement (Standard Form of Lease). Some tenancy types are exempt. If your landlord does not provide one, you can request it in writing and there are consequences if they do not supply it.
- Can a landlord ask for my SIN?
- A landlord may ask, but you are generally not required to provide it, and it is not needed to run a credit check with your consent using your name, date of birth and address. Many tenants decline. See the Ontario guidance on what landlords may request.
- What makes a strong rental application without Canadian credit?
- A complete package: proof of income or a job offer, a bank statement showing funds, landlord references from your home country with contact details, a letter explaining your situation, and identification. Offering more months of rent up front is a common suggestion but is generally not something a landlord may require.
- Do I need a guarantor?
- Not legally, but some landlords ask for one. A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay if you do not. If you do not have one in Canada, a stronger documented application and, in some cases, rent-guarantee insurance products are the usual alternatives.