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Vote: Should landlords be able to ban pets in apartments?

Across Canada, landlords who don’t want animals in their buildings can, and do, refuse to rent to pet-owners.
Across Canada, landlords who don’t want animals in their buildings can, and do, refuse to rent to pet-owners.

Although surveys have found as many as six in 10 Canadians own a pet, the same proportion of Canadians believe landlords should be able to refuse to rent their properties to pet owners.

This is according to an Angus Reid Institute study that found out of 5,413 Canadian adults surveyed, 63 per cent said landlords should be able to ban pets.

Across the country, landlords have the legal right to reject prospective tenants with pets. But in Ontario, a landlord can’t evict an existing tenant who moves a pet in, or force them to give it up.

Advocates for tenants with pets say the current policy limits the number of rental options available to some of the owners of Canada’s 15 million pet cats and dogs.

On the other hand, those who support landlords having the right to ban pets argue not all pets are good for certain housing densities, and not all pet owners are responsible.

While activists push to end “no pets” policies in rental housing, the survey shows the highest support for that movement comes from tenants themselves, with half of renters siding with pet-owners.

The majority of home owners who responded, 70 per cent, sided with landlords.

Tell us what you think by answering our survey or leaving a comment.