Toronto renters subjected to unusual personality test
Posted March 22, 2017 5:53 pm.
Last Updated June 21, 2017 5:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An online personality test that features some unusual and personal questions is being used to screen tenants looking for rental space in Toronto.
“First of all, to see a personality test at all, I was surprised,” Aiden Cooper said after was required to fill out the Honest Renter survey when applying to rent a two-bedroom house in Cabbagetown.
“Second of all, to see a hundred-question personality test is just absurd to me.”
The test asks prospective renters to rate how strongly they agree with statements such as “I’ve done things that I feel ashamed of,” “New things I buy begin to look used quickly,” and “I never feel sad.”
According to the website where the test is found, the survey also includes a “built-in lie detector” that helps rate candidates on their ability to pay rent on time, avoid damage, follow rules and be a good neighbour.
“I filled out the entire thing in disbelief,” Cooper said. “The entire time I was just like, ‘What am I reading? What is this?’ Ridiculous questions.”
While some of the questions may seem strange, the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations says they do not seem to be illegal as they do not constitute a human rights violation.
“When you start screening people out based on disabilities, based on whether or not they’re a person of colour … that’s when you start to risk thousands of dollars in legal fees at the Human Rights Tribunal,” said the federation’s executive director Geordie Dent, adding these kind of personality tests for tenants are becoming more common.
“It is something that we’re seeing more and more right now because it is a really hot rental market for landlords.”