"Preferably: Indians": Burnaby rental listing draws online outrage
Many are expressing their anger online over a rental ad that included a clause that the future tenants should be “Preferably: Indians.”
It was posted on Vancouver’s Facebook Marketplace, where many go to find listings in Metro Vancouver, and the rental asking price for one person was $750 or $1,500 for two people.
Only one photo was included in the ad — a picture of the apartment building exterior.
Daily Hive has been able to identify that the rental is located in the Highgate Village area of Burnaby, and additional photos of the building’s interior are available on Realtor.ca.
Facebook/Screenshot
Within hours of the one-bedroom, one-bath unit in Burnaby being listed online, someone on Reddit reposted the ad and highlighted the clause about race.
Dozens of Redditors responded to the posting, agreeing the preference detailed in the listing was “blatant racism.”
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Many others pointed out, “It’s completely against the law.”
Daily Hive has spotted other ads on Facebook where people have sought renters with particular ethnic backgrounds.
Can you post a rental listing like this
We asked the Province of BC if it was legal.
In response, the Ministry of Housing explained the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) does not apply until a landlord and tenant have established a relationship.
“[The RTA] does not have any provisions related to listing rental units, as the screening process occurs before the landlord-tenant relationship is established,” the ministry explained in a statement to Daily Hive.
“That said, the BC Human Rights Code, section 10, states that a person must not deny a person or class of persons the right to occupy a space as a tenant or discriminate against them regarding a term or condition of the tenancy because of their protected characteristics, including race, colour, ancestry, Indigenous identity, sex, religion, family status, and so forth.”
Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock
However, there is an exception in a section of the Code to protect rights for people who are choosing to share their private space with a tenant.
“The prohibition on discrimination does not apply where the renter would be sharing sleeping, bathroom, or cooking facilities with the person looking to rent the space,” the ministry added.
Here are examples the province provided:
“There may be a situation where a parent with a young daughter wants to rent out a room in their home and she must share the bathroom and kitchen with the tenant. The parent may only want to rent or share this space with a female for reasons of privacy or safety,” it explained.
In this scenario, the landlord would be allowed to turn away male occupants without risking a human rights complaint.
Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock
“Another example might be a situation where a Jewish couple rents out a room in their home and wants to maintain a fully kosher kitchen for religious reasons,” the ministry added. “They can request that the tenant be a Jewish person who will ensure the kitchen is kept kosher.”
The province added it is working to update provincial laws “to ensure they meet our commitment to anti-racism and protect people.”
For those who feel they are being racially discriminated against, the ministry suggests they contact the BC Human Rights Tribunal.
“Racial discrimination is unacceptable and has no place in BC,” it said.
According to the Redditor who shared the rental listing, many have reported the ad to Facebook.
Facebook/Screenshot
Daily Hive reached out to the user who posted the listing but did not receive a response in time for the deadline.
The ad was soon deleted after Daily Hive messaged them.
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