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Saskatchewan Rental Application + Tenant Screening Tool

Free interactive tenant-screening scorecard plus a downloadable Saskatchewan rental application form. Built around The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code so you screen on the criteria that actually matter — and avoid the criteria that get you in trouble.

  • 7-criteria scorecard with 0–100 score
  • SK Human Rights Code-aware
  • Signing-ready application PDF

Applicant signals

Score weights criteria that are legal to evaluate in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Human Rights Code protected grounds (age, family status, source of income beyond employment, marital status, disability, etc.) are not part of the score.

Strong

Applicant score: 84 / 100

Solid file across the criteria that matter for Saskatchewan landlords. Standard offer + standard deposit (max 1 month rent under s. 25). Document the file, sign the lease, move on.

Breakdown

  • Credit22 / 25
  • Income vs. rent22 / 25
  • Employment11 / 15
  • References7 / 10
  • Prior landlord7 / 10
  • History gaps5 / 5
  • Eviction history10 / 10

This scorecard is a triage tool, not a decision. The landlord is responsible for the final call, for following the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, and for documenting the legitimate business factor behind any decline. Never decline on a protected-ground criterion.

How to screen a tenant in Saskatchewan

Tenant screening in Saskatchewan is a balance: enough information to make a confident decision, without crossing into questions the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits. The good news is that the legitimate screening criteria — credit, income, employment, rental history, references, eviction history — are also the most predictive of how a tenancy will go.

Saskatchewan Human Rights Code — the protected grounds

What you can ask + use

The legitimate screening criteria — what to collect on the application form and verify during the screening process.

  • Identity + contact

    Full legal name, current address, phone, email, and government-issued ID.

  • Employment + income

    Employer, role, length of employment, gross + net monthly income — with the right to ask for pay stubs, T4, or an employment letter.

  • Rental history

    Last 1–2 addresses, landlord names + contacts, dates of tenancy, reason for leaving.

  • References

    Typically 3: prior landlord (most predictive), employer (income confirmation), personal reference (character).

  • Credit check authorization

    Explicit written consent to run a credit check via Equifax, TransUnion, or a Canadian rental-screening platform.

  • Pet + smoking

    Pet count, type, and any history; smoking inside the unit (yes/no).

  • Eviction or ORT dispute history

    Yes/no, plus an explanation if yes.

The 2.5×–3× income rule

How to check references properly

The prior-landlord call is the most predictive of how the tenancy will go. Document every call: date, person spoken to, one-line summary, and any flags.

  1. Prior-landlord call (the most predictive)

    • How long was the tenant in the unit?
    • Were there any rent payment issues?
    • Were there any complaints from neighbours or the landlord?
    • Was the unit returned in good condition?
    • Was the security deposit returned in full? Why or why not?
    • Would you rent to this tenant again? (the most useful question)

  2. Employer call

    Confirm employment status, length of employment, and gross income. Keep it short — you're verifying the income field on the application, not running a reference check on the employer.

  3. Personal reference

    Looking for character information: would this person take care of a place, do they have stable housing history. Keep it short — personal references skew positive by definition, so weight them lightly.

The ORT and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission both look at how consistently the screening process was applied — the documented paper trail is what holds up at a hearing.

Documenting a decline properly

Saskatchewan deposit cap

Frequently asked questions

What can I legally ask on a rental application in Saskatchewan?
You can ask for everything that helps you assess whether the applicant can pay rent and care for the unit: name + contact info + government ID, employment + income, rental history (last 1–2 addresses + landlord contacts), references, credit-check authorization, and pet/smoking-in-unit details. You cannot ask about Saskatchewan Human Rights Code protected grounds — race, religion, ancestry, place of origin, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age (over 18), marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, or receipt of public assistance.
What income-to-rent ratio should I require?
Most Saskatchewan landlords use a 2.5×–3.0× rule: monthly net income should be 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent. Three times is the safer threshold for a single income; 2.5× is workable when there are multiple incomes or excellent credit. Set the threshold up front in writing so every applicant is measured against the same standard — that's what defends you against any human-rights complaint.
Can I refuse to rent because the applicant gets social assistance?
No. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code lists 'receipt of public assistance' as a protected ground in residential tenancy decisions. Refusing to rent because the income comes from social assistance, employment insurance, disability benefits, or similar is unlawful. You can require that any income source be verifiable — that's a legitimate business factor — but you can't decline on the source itself.
Can I refuse to rent to people with kids?
No. 'Family status' is a protected ground in Saskatchewan. You cannot decline because an applicant has children, is a single parent, or plans to have a baby. You can apply legitimate occupancy standards (e.g., a one-bedroom unit isn't suitable for a family of five) but the standard has to be objective and applied to every applicant.
Is a credit check required, and how do I do one properly?
It's not required by statute, but it's the single most useful piece of screening data. Use a service like Equifax, TransUnion, or a Canadian rental-screening platform (TenantPay, SingleKey, etc.) — never run a credit check without the applicant's explicit written authorization. Our application includes a credit-check authorization clause; the applicant must sign it. Don't rely on a self-reported score.
How many references should I check?
Three is the standard: prior landlord (most predictive), employer (income confirmation), and a personal reference. The prior landlord is the most useful — ask: 'Would you rent to this person again?' The answer often tells you more than the credit report. Document each call with date, person spoken to, and a one-line summary.
What happens if an application is declined and the applicant complains?
Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission complaints are real — the Commission has a streamlined intake for tenancy decisions. Your defence is documentation: the same application form for every applicant, written screening criteria applied consistently, and a written reason for the decline tied to a legitimate business factor (income, credit, references, history). Decisions tied to protected grounds are findable in correspondence and on social media — assume any conversation can come up later.
Can I require first + last month's rent?
No. Section 25 of the RTA, 2006 caps the security deposit at one month's rent. You cannot require last month's rent on top of the security deposit. You can ask for the first month upfront — that's just normal pre-paid rent, not a deposit — but that's it.

Sources

Need help screening at scale?

GoodDoors screens every applicant for our Regina and Saskatoon portfolio with the same Human Rights Code-compliant scorecard you see above. Our typical applicant-to-tenant ratio is 5–8:1 — we look at every file before recommending one.

Talk to us(306) 994-5475

Get the Saskatchewan rental application form

RTA 2006-aligned · Saskatchewan Human Rights Code-compliant · Signature page + credit-check authorization · PDF + editable DOCX

Your download starts the second you submit. No spam — we'll just send the occasional Saskatchewan landlord update you can unsubscribe from anytime.

Saskatchewan-RTA-aligned application with built-in credit-check authorization. Edit in DOCX or print-and-sign in PDF.