The Ontario Rental Application Form 410 is the standardized OREA application landlords and their agents use to screen prospective tenants; you complete it by working through its sections in order — personal details, rental history, employment, banking, references — signing the consent block, and returning it to the listing agent, landlord, or property manager along with supporting documents like a recent pay stub. The form is an application, not a lease, and it says so at the bottom.
What Form 410 Is and Where To Get One
Form 410 is produced by the Ontario Real Estate Association and distributed through licensed real estate professionals. In most cases you’ll receive a blank copy from the listing agent, the landlord’s property manager, or the brokerage handling the rental. Landlords renting privately without an agent may use their own application instead, though the information asked for is usually similar. Digital copies circulate through online document platforms as well, but the official version comes through OREA’s member channels.
Filling Out the Form Section by Section
The document is a single page with grouped sections. Move through them in order, and keep supporting documents (pay stub, employment letter, reference contact info) close by so you’re not stopping to look things up.
Applicant Details at the Top
The header asks for the date, the monthly rent, and the rent due date for the unit. Below that comes your personal information: full legal name, date of birth, driver’s licence number, Social Insurance Number, and occupation. There’s space for two applicants side by side, so a partner or roommate fills in the parallel column.
The SIN field is on the form but you don’t have to fill it in. A landlord may ask, but they cannot reject you for declining, and they do not need it to run a credit check.1LowestRates.ca. My Landlord Is Asking for My Social Insurance Number (SIN). Should I Provide It? Given the identity theft risk, many applicants leave it blank and provide it only after approval, if at all.
Other Occupants and Pets
List everyone else who will live in the unit — children, dependents, other household members — with each person’s name, relationship to you, and age. A separate line asks whether you have pets and to describe them. Be specific about breed and size. Vague answers invite follow-up questions that slow things down.
Rental History
Provide your last two residences: address, dates you lived there, landlord’s name, and landlord’s phone number. Landlords lean on this section most heavily during screening. They will call your previous landlords to ask about payment history and how you kept the property. If you can’t supply a previous landlord’s contact — because you owned, or lived with family — note that in the space and be ready to explain it.
There’s also a line asking why you’re leaving your current residence. Keep it short: job relocation, need for more space, lease ending. A sentence is enough.
Employment Information
Enter your current and prior employment: employer name and address, your position, how long you’ve held it, your supervisor’s name, and your current monthly salary range. A co-applicant’s employment goes in the parallel column. Many landlords look for rent to fall within roughly 25 to 35 percent of gross income.2Ontario Human Rights Commission. Minimum Income Criteria A recent pay stub or employment letter attached to the form speeds up verification.
Banking and Financial Obligations
The banking block asks for your bank’s name, branch, and address, and your chequing and savings account numbers. The financial obligations section asks you to list ongoing debts — credit cards, car loans, student loans — with the monthly amount for each. A vehicle section collects make, model, year, and licence plate. Together, these give the landlord a picture of your financial stability and whether your debt load leaves room for rent.
Personal References
You need at least two personal references with name, address, phone, occupation, and how long they’ve known you. Choose people who can speak credibly to your reliability: a former landlord not already listed above, a long-term employer, or a professional colleague. Immediate family carries less weight. Give each reference a heads-up before you submit the form so they aren’t caught off guard by the call.
What You Don’t Have To Disclose
Ontario’s Human Rights Code protects tenants from discrimination in housing. Under subsection 2(1), you have a right to equal treatment in accommodation without discrimination based on race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family status, disability, or receipt of public assistance.3Ontario Human Rights Commission. III. The Ontario Human Rights Code Form 410 doesn’t ask questions that touch these grounds, but some landlords add supplementary questions or ask them verbally at a showing.
If a landlord asks about your religion, whether you plan to have children, where you were born, whether you receive social assistance, or anything similar, you’re not obligated to answer. A landlord who denies your application based on any of these grounds is violating the Code, and you can file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.4Ontario Human Rights Commission. Prohibited Grounds of Discrimination Proving discriminatory intent is hard in practice because landlords rarely state a prohibited reason outright, but keeping notes of what was asked and when can help if you suspect it.
The Consent Block and Credit Check
Near the bottom of the form is a block of text that serves as your written consent for verification. Signing authorizes three things: a credit check through a consumer reporting agency, verification of your employment and income, and contact with your personal references and previous landlords. The form warns that “a consumer report containing credit and/or personal information may be referred to in connection with this rental.” Your authorization is limited to evaluating this specific application.
Rental credit checks in Canada are now generally treated as soft inquiries by Equifax and TransUnion, so they don’t lower your credit score. You’ll see the inquiry on your own report, but other lenders won’t.5SingleKey. Hard vs. Soft Credit Checks: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters Applying to several rental units in a short window won’t hurt your standing.
Fees and Deposits
Ontario landlords cannot charge an application fee, screening fee, or any “administrative” processing charge. Section 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act prohibits charges beyond first and last month’s rent deposits and refundable key deposits.6RentZen. Illegal Application Fees and Screening Charges in Ontario’s Rental Market If anyone asks for $50 or $100 to “process” your Form 410, the charge is illegal and must be refunded.
Some landlords ask for a deposit alongside the application to hold the unit while they screen you. Form 410 states that if your application is not accepted, any deposit you submitted must be returned. If a landlord collects a deposit but ultimately doesn’t let you move in, the Residential Tenancies Act requires them to repay it, and you can file a T1 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board to recover it.7Tribunals Ontario. Form T1 Tenant Application for a Rebate of Money the Landlord Owes
Submitting the Application and What Comes Next
Hand the completed form to the listing agent or landlord directly, submit it through the brokerage’s email or online portal, or deliver a physical copy to the property management office. No single method is mandated. Before you send it, check that every field is complete, your phone numbers and references are current, and any supporting documents are attached. Incomplete applications get set aside, not chased.
Most landlords respond within one to three business days while they pull your credit report, call references and previous landlords, and confirm employment. If you haven’t heard back after three days, a brief follow-up email is reasonable.
Approval doesn’t produce a lease on its own. If your application is accepted, the landlord prepares a separate lease agreement. For most residential tenancies in Ontario, landlords are legally required to use the Government of Ontario’s standard lease template, introduced under section 12.1 of the Residential Tenancies Act. You should receive a copy of the signed standard lease within 21 days of it being signed. If a landlord tries to use a non-standard lease or adds terms that conflict with the Residential Tenancies Act, those conflicting terms are void.
Review the lease before signing. The rent, the move-in date, and any agreed-upon terms should match what was discussed during the application. Raise any change before you sign, not after.
If Your Application Is Rejected
Ontario landlords aren’t legally required to explain why they turned you down, and most avoid giving specific reasons to limit exposure to human rights complaints. The practical response is to keep applying and look at what you can strengthen: a higher-earning co-applicant, a stronger reference, or an offer to prepay additional months of rent where legally permitted.
If you believe the rejection was based on a protected ground under the Human Rights Code — race, family status, disability, receipt of public assistance, or another listed characteristic — you can file an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.3Ontario Human Rights Commission. III. The Ontario Human Rights Code Documenting your interactions, saving written communications, and noting any discriminatory remarks made during the process will strengthen your case.