Two men who were at first allowed to sign a one-year lease for an apartment rental in Canada’s Northwest Territories we’re denied the right to move in once the landlord realized they were a homosexual couple.The action rendered the tenants homeless for 10 days.
As a result, they have brought their case before the Human Rights Commission.
The landlord argued before the council that his religious beliefs against homosexuality outweigh other considerations of the law. He claimed that he feared “God’s punishment” if he allowed the men to move in. Instead, he sought out a family to rent the apartment.
The tenants are each requesting $23,000 in punitive damages.
The adjudicator heard both sides of the dispute and will decide this case sometime over the summer.
This post is provided by Tenant Verification Services, Inc., helping landlords reduce the risks of renting with fraud prevention tools that include Tenant Screening, Tenant Background Checks, (U.S. and Canada), as well as Criminal Background Checks, and Eviction Reports (U.S. only).
Click Here to Receive Landlord Credit Reports.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.
