Alberta Discrimination in Housing Laws (2026)
About this article
Sourced from Canadian federal statutes and official sources. Provincial information reflects each province's own legislation and court rulings. Written in plain language for general understanding — this is educational content, not legal advice. Our editorial standards
What is this right?
Refusing to rent to someone, treating them worse, or evicting them based on a prohibited ground is illegal in Canada — at the federal level under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and at the provincial level under each province's human rights code. Prohibited grounds include race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, family status, disability, and pardoned criminal conviction.
Provinces add their own grounds on top. Ontario, for example, bans discrimination based on receipt of public assistance — a landlord cannot refuse you because you're on social assistance or ODSP.
Both direct discrimination ("we don't rent to families with children") and systemic discrimination (a policy that lands harder on one group than another) are caught.
When does it apply?
- At every stage of the tenancy — the ad, the screening, the lease terms, repairs, and eviction.
- Applies to private landlords and property management companies alike.
- Covers apartments, houses, condos, rooms, and the rest of the residential rental landscape.
What to Do If a Canadian Landlord Discriminates Against You
Discrimination cases are won and lost on what you can show in writing. Save everything as it happens.
- Document the conduct — emails, texts, screenshots of the ad, dated notes from conversations.
- File a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for federal matters or with your provincial human rights tribunal. Most jurisdictions give you a 12-month deadline.
- Talk to a legal clinic or community legal aid program that handles housing human rights work.
- Report discriminatory rental ads to the platform hosting them and to the provincial human rights body — both routes run in parallel.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't assume nothing can be done. Human rights tribunals exist for exactly this.
- Don't sit on it. Most jurisdictions cut off the case at 12 months from the incident.
- Don't retaliate against the landlord — keep the conduct on their side of the ledger.
- Don't accept "it's already rented" at face value if your gut says discrimination. Note what happened, save the listing, file the complaint.
How Alberta differs from federal law
Housing discrimination in Alberta is prohibited by the Alberta Human Rights Act, RSA 2000, c. A-25.5. The Act applies to tenancy, co-operative housing, and the purchase of property.
- It is illegal to refuse to rent to someone, evict them, or impose different terms based on: race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age (18+), marital status, family status, source of income, or sexual orientation.
- Landlords cannot refuse to rent to families with children or impose different rules on families (such as restricting which floors they can live on). Family status is a protected ground.
- Source of income is a protected ground in Alberta. A landlord cannot refuse you solely because your income comes from social assistance, AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped), or other government benefits.
- Landlords have a duty to accommodate tenants with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship. This may include allowing modifications to the unit or making exceptions to pet policies for service animals.
- Advertising that indicates a preference or limitation based on a protected ground is also prohibited (for example, "no children" or "Christians only").
Additional Steps in Alberta
File a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission within 1 year of the discriminatory act. Complaints can be filed online at albertahumanrights.ab.ca or by calling 780-427-7661 (use the toll-free prefix 310-0000). The Commission will investigate and attempt to resolve the complaint through mediation. If unresolved, it may be referred to a human rights tribunal. Remedies can include compensation, access to housing, and orders to change discriminatory policies.
Relevant Law: Alberta Human Rights Act, RSA 2000, c. A-25.5, ss. 4, 5, 10
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What is the discrimination in housing right in Canada?
Refusing to rent to someone, treating them worse, or evicting them based on a prohibited ground is illegal in Canada — at the federal level under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and at the provincial level under each province's human rights code. Prohibited grounds include race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, family status, disability, and pardoned criminal conviction.Provinces add their own grounds on top. Ontario, for example, bans discrimination based on receipt of public assistance — a landlord cannot refuse you because you're...
When does discrimination in housing apply?
At every stage of the tenancy — the ad, the screening, the lease terms, repairs, and eviction.Applies to private landlords and property management companies alike.Covers apartments, houses, condos, rooms, and the rest of the residential rental landscape.
What should I do if I think a landlord in Canada refused to rent to me because of discrimination?
Discrimination cases are won and lost on what you can show in writing. Save everything as it happens.Document the conduct — emails, texts, screenshots of the ad, dated notes from conversations.File a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for federal matters or with your provincial human rights tribunal. Most jurisdictions give you a 12-month deadline.Talk to a legal clinic or community legal aid program that handles housing human rights work.Report discriminatory rental ads to the platform hosting them and to the provincial human rights body — both routes run in parallel.
What mistakes should I avoid with discrimination in housing?
Don't assume nothing can be done. Human rights tribunals exist for exactly this.Don't sit on it. Most jurisdictions cut off the case at 12 months from the incident.Don't retaliate against the landlord — keep the conduct on their side of the ledger.Don't accept "it's already rented" at face value if your gut says discrimination. Note what happened, save the listing, file the complaint.
Discrimination in Housing in other states
Same topic, different jurisdiction. Pick the one that applies to you.