B.C. company that screens tenants for landlords under investigation by privacy watchdogs

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne speaks at a press conference in Ottawa, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. (Spencer Colby/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A British Columbia company that performs background checks for landlords who are looking to screen potential tenants is coming under scrutiny from provincial and federal privacy watchdogs.

In a joint statement Tuesday, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. announced they were investigating Certn Inc., a Victoria-based business that provides identity checks for businesses and governments.

The joint investigation is specifically focused on the company's practices in screening potential renters, according to the privacy watchdogs.

Both commissioners were unavailable for interviews, but told CTV News in a statement they believe Certn "may be collecting sensitive personal information" in its tenant checks.

The federal commissioner will investigate the company's compliance with the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, while the provincial agency will investigate its compliance with B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act, according to the statement.

"The offices will examine the company's practices with respect to tenant screening to determine if they are compliant with the consent provisions under both laws," the watchdogs said.

"The offices will also assess whether Certn ensures that the information that it collects, uses, and discloses for the purposes of tenant screening is sufficiently accurate, complete, and up to date; and whether the purposes for which it collects that information are appropriate."

Federal privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said in the statement that ensuring landlords and the companies they employ are compliant with privacy laws is especially important because "it may ultimately impact an individual's ability to find a place to live."

Provincial privacy commissioner Michael Harvey echoed his federal counterpart, adding that landlord compliance with privacy laws is paramount "at a time when hundreds of thousands of British Columbians are facing affordability and housing challenges."

Certn's website says it performs approximately 1.6 million criminal record checks, identity verifications and employment checks annually in more than 200 countries.

The company began providing tenant screening for landlords and property managers in 2018 before branching out into criminal record checks the following year, according to its 2024 media kit.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. This story will be updated if and when a response is received.