British Columbia 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 British Columbia differs from federal law
The BC Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, source of income, and age (except for seniors-only housing).
- A landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because you have children, receive social assistance, or have a disability. Source of income is a protected ground in BC — landlords cannot discriminate against tenants who pay rent through government benefits.
- Landlords have a duty to accommodate tenants with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship. This can include allowing service animals despite a no-pet rule, making physical modifications, or adjusting rules.
- Discriminatory rental ads (such as "no kids" or specifying a preferred ethnicity) are illegal.
- Complaints go to the BC Human Rights Tribunal within 1 year of the discriminatory act.
Additional Steps in British Columbia
If you have been denied housing or treated differently because of a protected characteristic, file a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal within 1 year. The BC Human Rights Clinic (Community Legal Assistance Society) offers free legal assistance. Keep records of communications with the landlord, including ads, emails, and text messages.
Relevant Law: Human Rights Code, RSBC 1996, c. 210, ss. 8–10
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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.