What You Can and Cannot Ask a Potential Tenant in Alberta

When I first showed my basement suite, my hands were sweating. It felt like a weird first date mixed with a job interview with someone who might live in my house. I just wanted a good person who wouldn't cause trouble. My brain was buzzing with a million questions I thought would help me figure that out. After some reading and almost making a few dumb mistakes, I realized my gut instinct about what to ask was often wrong. Not just a little off, but the kind of wrong that can get you into real trouble.

The Line Between Curious and Illegal

There are rules in Alberta about what you can ask a potential tenant. These rules exist to prevent discrimination. The government has a list of protected grounds, which are things you can't use to deny someone housing. This includes race, religious beliefs, gender, age, family status, and source of income, among others. The whole point of screening a tenant is to answer two basic questions: can they pay the rent, and will they take care of the property? Everything else is just noise, and a lot of that noise is off limits.

It is a simple idea, but it feels weird at first. This person is going to be living under your feet. You will hear them walking around, you will smell their cooking, you will see them taking out the trash in their pajamas on a cold Calgary morning. You want to know who they are. But your job as a landlord is not to find a new friend or someone who fits your idea of a perfect neighbour. Your job is to find a qualified tenant in a fair and consistent way.

Questions That Keep You on the Right Side of the Law

So what can you ask? You can ask things that relate directly to the tenancy. The best way I have found is to have a standard application form and a standard set of questions you ask everyone who seems like a decent fit. This consistency is your best defense against any claim of discrimination.

Here are the kinds of questions that are perfectly fine to ask:

• Why are you looking to move?
• How many people will be living in the suite?
• Can you provide references from your current and previous landlords?
• Can you confirm your employment and provide proof of income?
• Do you have any pets?
• Are you able to pay the security deposit and first month's rent upon signing the lease?

These questions are all about business. They relate to their history as a tenant, their ability to pay, and their compliance with the terms you have set, like the number of occupants or a no pet policy. That is it. That is the job.

Red Flag Questions You Have to Avoid

Now for the part where I almost messed up. It is easy to slide into casual conversation and ask something that crosses the line. You might think you are just making small talk, but to an applicant, it can sound like you are screening them based on personal details. Avoid questions like: "Oh, what a lovely accent, where are you from originally?" or "Are you two married?". These questions, no matter how innocent your intent, are directly related to protected grounds like place of origin and marital status.

Do not ask about their family plans. Asking a young couple if they are planning on having kids is a huge red flag. Do not ask about their religion. Do not ask their age, unless you are renting a property with a specific age restriction that is legally permitted, which is rare. Do not ask about health or disabilities. If they need an accommodation, like a grab bar in the shower, they will bring it up with you. Your job is to rent the suite, not to play doctor or family planner.

What About Income and Credit Checks?

You absolutely can, and should, verify a tenant's ability to pay the rent. Asking for proof of income is standard practice. This could be a letter of employment, recent pay stubs, or other documents. You can also ask for their consent to run a credit check. I use a service that lets the tenant run their own credit check and share the report with me, which feels a bit more transparent.

Where you get into trouble is when you start judging the source of that income. In Alberta, source of income is a protected ground. That means you cannot refuse to rent to someone because their income comes from social assistance, a disability support program, or another source you might look down on.

Your job is to confirm they can pay the rent, not to judge how they get the money to do it.

If an applicant can show that their total income is enough for rent and regular living costs, that is all you need to know. The question is "Can you afford it?" not "How, exactly, do you make your money?". Be consistent. If you require proof of income and a credit check from one applicant, you should require it from all of them.

It Is Your House, But It Is Their Home

As a house hacker, the lines get blurry. It is easy to forget you are a landlord first and a neighbour second, but the reality of living above so close means you need professional boundaries more, not less. The temptation to pick someone based on a good feeling or because you think you would be friends is strong, but it is a trap. That good feeling often comes from unconscious bias, which is exactly what the rules are designed to prevent.

A solid, repeatable, fair screening process is what finds you a good tenant. It has nothing to do with whether you share the same hobbies or political views. A good tenant is someone who pays on time, communicates well, and does not damage your property. Focusing your questions on verifying those qualities is the only way to go. It shows good applicants that you are a serious landlord, which is a big plus for them too.

Treating your rental like a small business is the best way to protect your investment and your own peace of mind. A fair process that follows the rules is not just about avoiding legal headaches. It is about finding the best qualified person for your suite, plain and simple.