A landlord reviews an application and discovers the applicant has a minor criminal record for an offense committed several years ago, unrelated to property damage or violence. What is the landlord's obligation under fair housing principles?

Question: A landlord reviews an application and discovers the applicant has a minor criminal record for an offense committed several years ago, unrelated to property damage or violence. What is the landlord's obligation under fair housing principles?

Answer options:

• The landlord can automatically reject the application for any criminal record. ✅ The landlord must assess the relevance of the criminal record to the tenancy and treat it on a case-by-case basis.
• The landlord must obtain a waiver from the applicant allowing them to share the criminal record with other landlords.
• The landlord must accept all applicants with criminal records, regardless of the offence.

Correct answer: The landlord must assess the relevance of the criminal record to the tenancy and treat it on a case-by-case basis.

Explanation: Fair housing principles suggest that landlords should not use criminal history as a blanket exclusionary criterion. Instead, they should assess the nature and recency of the offense, and its relevance to the prospective tenancy, to avoid discriminatory practices.