Introduction

Tenant Bird ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform for residential leasing in Ontario.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using Tenant Bird, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when using our services, including:

Name, email address, and phone number
Government-issued identification documents
Employment and income verification documents
Rental history and references
Any other information you choose to provide in your rental application

Financial and Credit Information

With your consent, we collect financial and credit information to support tenant screening. This includes:

Income verification data: Bank income summaries, deposit history, payroll data (pay stubs, earnings, pay frequency), and calculated annual and monthly income, collected through your linked bank account via Plaid
Credit report data: Credit score, credit history, tradelines (credit cards, loans, mortgages), payment history, collections, bankruptcies, legal judgments, secured loans, credit inquiries, and related financial records, obtained from Equifax through Certn
Identity verification data: Identity verification status and results obtained through Plaid and/or Certn, which may include verification of your name, date of birth, and identity documents

Automatically Collected Information

When you access our platform, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

Device information (browser type, operating system)
IP address and general location data
Usage data and interaction with our platform
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Process and manage rental applications
Facilitate communication between tenants, agents, and property owners
Conduct tenant screening, including credit checks and income verification
Verify your identity as part of the application or screening process
Generate and manage lease agreements
Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
Improve our platform and develop new features
Comply with legal obligations

Third-Party Service Providers

We use the following third-party service providers to process your information as part of tenant screening:

Plaid Inc. — We use Plaid to verify your identity and income. When you connect your bank account through Plaid, you authorize Plaid to access your financial data (including deposit and income information) on our behalf. Plaid's use of your data is governed by the Plaid End User Privacy Policy.
Certn — We use Certn to obtain consumer credit reports and perform identity verification. With your consent, Certn retrieves your credit report from Equifax Canada, which includes your credit score, credit history, tradelines, collections, and related records.
Equifax Canada — Your consumer credit report is sourced from Equifax through Certn. This report may include credit accounts, payment history, public records (bankruptcies, judgments), inquiries, and employment and address information reported on your credit file.

Information Sharing

We may share your information with:

Real estate agents and property owners: To process your rental application, including sharing screening results such as credit reports and income verification
Third-party service providers: As described in the "Third-Party Service Providers" section above, including Plaid, Certn, and Equifax, for credit checks, income verification, identity verification, and document signing
Legal authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Consent

We obtain your explicit consent before collecting sensitive financial and credit information:

Credit checks: A credit check is only initiated with your prior consent. You will be asked to authorize the retrieval of your credit report before any check is performed.
Bank account linking: When you connect your bank account through Plaid for income verification, you explicitly authorize access to your financial data through the Plaid Link interface.
Identity verification: You consent to identity verification when you complete the verification flow as part of your application or screening process.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us, though this may affect our ability to process your rental application.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure data storage with Canadian data residency
Regular security assessments and audits
Access controls and authentication measures

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. You may request deletion of your data by contacting us.

Your Rights

Under applicable privacy laws, you may have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion of your personal information
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our platform. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: hello@tenantbird.com

Or visit our Contact Page