Can a landlord refuse to rent because a tenant receives social assistance?

Refusal that discriminates on the basis of a protected ground may violate the Ontario Human Rights Code; tenants may pursue complaints with the human-rights tribunal or apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for related tenancy remedies.

How do I report a property-standards or licensing concern in Hamilton?

Report property-standards, maintenance, or licensing concerns to City of Hamilton By-law Enforcement using the citys bylaw complaint process or contact lines listed on the municipal website.

What remedies are available to tenants who face illegal eviction or threats?

Tenants can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for relief, and may also have human-rights remedies if discrimination is involved; emergency shelter or public-health routes may apply in urgent cases.

Hamilton bylaws: Source-of-Income & Landlord Duties

Housing and Building Standards Ontario 3 Minutes Read · published February 11, 2026

In Hamilton, Ontario, tenants and landlords must follow provincial tenancy law and municipal bylaws that affect housing standards and licensing. This guide explains how source-of-income protections interact with the Residential Tenancies Act and human rights protections, what municipal enforcement can do, and practical steps for landlords and tenants to comply and to report problems. For city-specific bylaw text and enforcement contacts see the City of Hamilton bylaws page City of Hamilton bylaws page^[1]. For provincial tenancy rules see the Residential Tenancies Act Residential Tenancies Act (Ontario)^[2]. For human-rights protections related to source of income see the Ontario Human Rights Code Ontario Human Rights Code^[3].

Penalties & Enforcement

Municipal enforcement in Hamilton is carried out by the citys enforcement teams and by-law officers for matters within municipal bylaws; provincial tenancy disputes are resolved by the Landlord and Tenant Board and discrimination claims by the Human Rights Tribunal. Specific monetary fine amounts on the city bylaw pages are not always listed; where a bylaw page does not list fines we note that they are "not specified on the cited page" and direct readers to the enforcing body for amounts and procedures.

Enforcer: City of Hamilton By-law Enforcement and Municipal Licensing for property-standards and licensing matters; Landlord and Tenant Board for RTA disputes.
Fines: amounts not specified on the cited page for municipal bylaws; provincial orders and monetary awards are handled through the Landlord and Tenant Board or courts depending on the issue.
Escalation: municipal orders, administrative fines, repeat-offence penalties or provincial tribunal orders; specific escalation ranges not specified on the cited page.
Non-monetary sanctions: compliance orders, repair orders, licences suspended or revoked, and court proceedings.
Inspection and complaint pathways: submit complaints to City of Hamilton By-law Enforcement; tenancy applications go to the Landlord and Tenant Board or the Human Rights Tribunal for discrimination claims.

File complaints promptly to preserve appeal and remedy options.

Appeals, Reviews and Time Limits

Appeal routes depend on the instrument: municipal order reviews and provincial tribunal appeals differ by statute. Time limits for tribunal or court appeals are set in provincial statutes or in the order itself; if a bylaw page does not list an appeal deadline, that deadline is "not specified on the cited page" and parties should follow directions on the enforcement notice or contact the listed office.

Defences and Discretion

Common defences include compliance efforts, active remediation, permits or approved variances, or lawful exemptions where the statute allows discretion.

Common Violations

Failure to maintain property standards or health and safety requirements.
Licensing breaches for rental units where licensing applies.
Discriminatory rental practices based on source of income.

Discrimination complaints should be filed as soon as possible to preserve evidence.

Applications & Forms

No specific municipal application form for source-of-income complaints is published on the cited city page; tenancy dispute forms and human-rights complaint forms are handled by provincial tribunals and are available from those bodies directly or via their websites.

FAQ

Can a landlord refuse to rent because a tenant receives social assistance?: Refusal that discriminates on the basis of a protected ground may violate the Ontario Human Rights Code; tenants may pursue complaints with the human-rights tribunal or apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for related tenancy remedies.
How do I report a property-standards or licensing concern in Hamilton?: Report property-standards, maintenance, or licensing concerns to City of Hamilton By-law Enforcement using the citys bylaw complaint process or contact lines listed on the municipal website.
What remedies are available to tenants who face illegal eviction or threats?: Tenants can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for relief, and may also have human-rights remedies if discrimination is involved; emergency shelter or public-health routes may apply in urgent cases.

How-To

Document the issue: keep dated photos, messages, and records of payments and communications.
Contact the landlord in writing requesting remediation and keep a copy.
If unresolved, submit a complaint to City of Hamilton By-law Enforcement for bylaw issues or file an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board for tenancy disputes.
If discrimination is suspected, prepare and file a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Start with clear written requests to the landlord before escalating to tribunals.

Key Takeaways

Both provincial law and municipal bylaws affect landlord obligations and tenant protections.
Source-of-income issues may involve human-rights law as well as tenancy rules.