Tenant screening · Included in every placement
Tenant screening in Ontario: a 27-point check before you sign
Documents can be edited in minutes. People are harder to fake. We check the applicant behind the paperwork, then show you what we found, so you decide on facts.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
In short
Tenant screening means checking an applicant's identity, credit, income and rental history before you sign a lease. Zola's 27-point screening confirms income with the employer, calls past landlords, pulls a credit report with consent and checks for edited documents and fake ID, within Ontario's Human Rights Code rules. It's included in every placement.
Who it's for
Landlords who want to know who they might be signing a lease agreement with.
Landlords who've seen fake documents
An applicant's pay stub or job letter didn't add up, and you want someone to check properly next time.
First-time landlords
You don't know what's normal on an application, or what you're allowed to ask for.
Landlords with several applicants
You have more than one interested person and want a fair, consistent way to compare them.
What we check, and what we never do
Every serious applicant gets the same checks, so you compare like with like.
What we check
- Identity: government ID matched to the person applying
- A credit report and score, pulled with the applicant's written consent
- Income: the employer called on a number we find ourselves, not the one on the pay stub
- Pay stubs, job letters and bank statements checked for signs of editing
- Rental history: calls to the current and past landlords
- Landlord and Tenant Board orders, searched with Zola's LTB record search by name and past addresses
- Names, addresses and dates compared across every document
What we don't do
- Turn people down on grounds the Human Rights Code protects, such as family status, age or receiving social assistance
- Reject anyone on an income ratio alone
What applicants give us
- A completed rental application
- Written consent for the credit check and reference calls
- Proof of income, and contact details for their employer and past landlords
See all 27 points, and how each one is done, in our tenant screening checklist.
How screening works
Four stages, usually done within a few days of the showing.
Pre-screen
Before the showing
A few questions about the move-in date, how many people will live there, pets, and whether they can show proof of income and references, so only people who could rent your unit see it.
Application and consent
After the showing
A full rental application, written consent for the credit check and reference calls, and the documents to back it up.
Verification
1 to 3 days
We call the employer and past landlords ourselves, pull the credit report, run our LTB record search and test the documents for signs of editing.
Your decision
Same day as the results
You get a clear summary for each serious applicant, what we'd do and why. The choice is yours.
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee
What screening costs
Screening is part of every placement.
- Included in the placement fee of one month's rent plus HST
- No separate charge per applicant
- The same checks for every serious applicant
The fee
One month's rent plus HST, once
Found a tenant yourself and only need them checked? Ask us; we'll tell you if we can help and what it costs.
What a landlord says about our checks
This landlord used Zola twice, and wrote about the document checks.
5 out of 5 stars
“His meticulous approach and unwavering commitment to verifying the authenticity of documents have saved us from falling prey to fraudulent individuals. Moreover, he successfully negotiated the desired rental rate on our behalf.”
- 100+properties rented
- 14 daysaverage time to rent
- 1.7 yearsaverage tenant stay
Our promise
If your tenant breaks the lease in the first 10 months, we find you a new one at no cost
If a tenant we placed leaves or breaks the lease within a 10-month period, we re-list, re-screen and re-place the tenant without charging a second fee. The full terms are in your written agreement with Zola; ask for a copy.
- No extra fee for the replacement placement
- The same 27-point screening for the new tenant
- We handle the marketing, showings, screening and lease again
Tenant screening questions
What does a tenant credit check show?
A credit report shows the applicant's credit accounts, payment history and any collections or bankruptcies, plus a score. We pull it only with the applicant's written consent. Our tenant screening checklist lists the four red flags we look for beyond the score.
Can a landlord ask about income in Ontario?
Yes, but only together with credit references, rental history and a credit check, and income has to be weighed with everything else. The Ontario Human Rights Commission warns that rejecting people on an income ratio alone breaches the Code.
Can I ask for a Social Insurance Number?
You shouldn't require one. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada recommends that businesses don't ask for a SIN, and if one is asked for, giving it must be optional. A credit check works without it.
How do you spot a fake pay stub?
We call the employer on a number we look up ourselves, compare the pay stub with bank deposits and the job letter, and look for signs of editing. Our guide on spotting fake pay stubs explains the checks.
Do you check Landlord and Tenant Board history?
Yes. We search the Board's published orders with Zola's LTB record search, by the applicant's name and past addresses, and we ask past landlords directly how the tenancy went.
What can't a landlord base the decision on?
Anything the Human Rights Code protects, including race, place of origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability and receiving public assistance.
Can you screen a tenant I found myself?
Screening is part of every placement. If you've already found someone and only need them checked, ask us; we'll tell you if we can help and what it costs.
More questions? See the FAQ, read how pricing works, or call 437-448-6162.
Get the right tenant, checked properly
Tell us about your rental. We'll call with a rent estimate, a plan and how we'd screen applicants. It's free, with no obligation.
Get my free rental strategy
What happens next
Prefer to talk? Call or text 437-448-6162
Free · No obligation · $0 until your tenant signs · 10-Month replacement guarantee