Manitoba 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 Manitoba differs from federal law
Discrimination in housing in Manitoba is prohibited by the Human Rights Code, CCSM c. H175, which covers all aspects of renting and homeownership.
- A landlord cannot refuse to rent to you, set different terms, or evict you based on: ancestry, nationality or national origin, ethnic background, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or family status, source of income, political belief, physical or mental disability, or social disadvantage.
- Source of income is a protected ground — a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because you receive social assistance, Employment Insurance, or other government benefits.
- The Code applies to rental advertisements, application forms, lease terms, services provided by the landlord, and eviction decisions.
- Landlords must accommodate tenants with disabilities up to the point of undue hardship (for example, allowing a service animal or making reasonable modifications).
- A "no children" or "adults only" policy is generally discriminatory in Manitoba based on family status, with limited exceptions for seniors-only housing.
Additional Steps in Manitoba
If you experience housing discrimination, file a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission within 1 year at manitobahumanrights.ca or 204-945-3007 / 1-888-884-8681. You may also file a complaint with the RTB if it involves a breach of the Residential Tenancies Act. The Commission will investigate and attempt mediation before referring the matter for adjudication.
Relevant Law: Human Rights Code, CCSM c. H175, ss. 9, 13, 14
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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.