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After an investigation by the privacy commissioner, the province has found that landlords in B.C. are generally collecting too much information from prospective tenants.
The information and privacy commissioner, Drew McArthur, examined the personal information collected by 13 landlords from prospective tenants during the application process.
McArthur said that the near-zero vacancy rates throughout the province have created a market where landlords can ask prospective tenants for sensitive personal information as justification for seeking the best tenant.
"Unfortunately, many applicants feel they have no choice but to provide this information to avoid missing out on a place to live,” said McArthur.
Landlords are subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.
"Low vacancy rates may prompt landlords to believe they can collect whatever information they want from prospective tenants," said McArthur. "In some cases, landlords required applicants to provide months' worth of detailed bank statements, or for consent to conduct a credit check, or for information protected by the Human Rights Code, such as marital status.”
He adds that, in most cases, requiring this type of information would violate B.C. privacy laws.
As a result, the privacy commissioner has come out with recommendations for landlords, including limiting the amount of personal information they ask for, and to clearly state the purpose of the collecting the information.
He also recommended that credit checks only be asked for when sufficient reference cannot be provided and that landlords never collecting information from social media or internet searches.
Click here to see the guidance documents for landlords in B.C.