New renters’ bill of rights should void ‘no pet’ clauses, petition says

As pet abandonment surges in Canada, an animal rights group is pushing to end pet restrictions in rental housing, saying that it is “discriminating” against pet owners in the country.

A recent parliamentary petition started by Humane Canada is asking the House of Commons to include a specific provision for tenants with pets in the new Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights that was proposed in the 2024 federal budget.

Any “no pet” clauses in tenancy agreements should be voided, the petition says, “so that tenants with pets are no longer excluded from rental housing.”

“Pet restrictions in rental housing lead to housing insecurity, mental health impacts, and homelessness for some tenants with pets, disproportionately affecting young people and vulnerable populations, including seniors and people with disabilities,” states the petition, which was launched in July.

Humane Canada CEO Barbara Cartwright said “no pet” clauses for rental agreements are “very common” in the country and that creates a barrier to finding affordable housing, especially for younger people.

“We’re seeing an increase in people unable to find suitable housing and being forced to have to surrender their pets,” Cartwright told Global News in an interview.

“We hear stories of people sleeping in their cars because they’re trying to hold onto their pet and of course, in the worst-case scenario, they have to surrender their pets to an animal shelter.”

More than 60 per cent of Canadian households have a cat or dog, with more than 70 per cent identifying them as family members, according to Humane Canada.

Polling done by the group shows that 73 per cent of Canadians felt that they may have been or had been denied housing because of their pet and 82 per cent have said that