Asking applicants SIN for background and credit check

[Yuan He]

Hi BP rock stars,

I am aware that in Halifax NS, the tenant is not required to provide SIN. Under this condition, how do you usually conduct background and credit check if the applicant is not willing to disclose this information, and it seems that the law says we can not simply deny their application just because they are not willing to provide it.

Regards,

Yuan He

[Andrew M.]

@Yuan He in lieu of the SIN, I’d ask for the name, number and address of the Applicant’s last three landlords, and contact them to discuss the Applicant’s tenant history.

I’d also contact Access Nova Scotia to inquire if they’d ever been reported to Residential Tenancies for a breach of contract or dispute with the landlord.

And finally, I’d inquire what their gross monthly take-home is, to ensure my rent is within the threshold of what they can afford (eg. 30% or less).