Fifi forced out? Spike sent packing? Canadians weigh in on whether landlords should be able to prohibit pets

March 29, 2018--Finding a place to live in one of Canada's largest cities is a notoriously painful exercise. And it's one often made even more painful for those looking for a new home with the pets. Across the country, landlords who don't want animals in their buildings can--and do--refuse to rent to pet-owners, something activists have been pushing to change. A newly released analysis of polling data from the Angus Reid Institute finds a majority of Canadians inclined to disagree with those petitioning for increased rights for pet-owners, though opinion on this varies depending on whether one is a homeowner or a tenant.

---

Overall, more than six-in-ten Canadians (63%) say landlords should be able to refuse to rent their properties to pet owners, but the percentage holding this view rises to seven-in-ten among homeowners (70%), and falls to roughly half (50%) among renters.

More Key Findings:

• Residents of Quebec (43%) and Ontario (39%) are more likely than residents of other provinces to say landlords should not be able to refuse to rent to pet owners
• While half of renters (50%) say landlords shouldn't be allowed to refuse to rent to them if they have pets, more than three-quarters of landlords (76%) hold the opposite view
• Younger respondents (those ages 18-34) and those with household incomes below $50,000 are more likely than other groups to favour tenants with pets in this conflict, though small majorities (56% and 54%, respectively) in each group still say landlords should have the right not to rent to pet-owners

Link to the poll here Download .PDF (446 KB) with detailed tables, graphs and methodology Media Contact:  Shachi Kurl: shachi.kurl@angusreid.org @shachikurl

---