Environmental Sensitivities and Rental Housing - A Toolkit for Community Workers - Step-by-step accommodation guide

Sep 16, 2026

Upload by Jasmine

Environmental Sensitivities and Rental Housing provides community workers with practical guidance for supporting renters with environmental-related disabilities under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. It explains how disability is defined, outlines the duty to accommodate, and clarifies principles of undue hardship and renter responsibilities. The toolkit includes an advocate’s role and a step-by-step process: making accommodation requests, obtaining and documenting medical evidence, keeping detailed logs, creating plans, and proceeding through human rights applications, plus resources for follow-up.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time11 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgements

About CERA

Introduction

Housing and the Ontario Human Rights Code

Where does the code apply?

Definition of disability under the code

Invisible disabilities

Environmental sensitivities

The duty to accommodate

Three principles for the duty to accommodate

Undue hardship

Responsibilities of renters in the accommodation process

The advocate’s role in the accommodation process

Step-by-step guide

Sample scenario

Step 1 – Initial request for accommodation

Step 2 – Obtaining medical evidence

Step 3 – Keep a detailed log

Step 4 – Create an accommodation plan

Step 5 – Application at the Human Rights Tribunal

Resources

Environmental Sensitivities and Rental Housing: A Toolkit for Community Workers Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 3 ABOUT CERA ........................................................................................................................................ 4 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 5 HOUSING AND THE ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS CODE ........................................................................... 6 WHERE DOES THE CODE APPLY? .................................................................................................................... 6 DEFINITION OF DISABILITY UNDER THE CODE ................................................................................................... 6 Invisible Disabilities ............................................................................................................................ 7 ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES .......................................................................................................... 8 THE DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE ............................................................................................................ 9 THREE PRINCIPLES FOR THE DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE....................................................................................... 9 UNDUE HARDSHIP ..................................................................................................................................... 10 RESPONSIBILITIES OF RENTERS IN THE ACCOMMODATION PROCESS ................................................................... 10 THE ADVOCATE’S ROLE IN THE ACCOMMODATION PROCESS ............................................................................. 11 STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE .......................................................................................................................... 12 SAMPLE SCENARIO............................................................................................................................. 13 STEP 1 – INITIAL REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION............................................................................ 14 BASICS OF LETTER WRITING ........................................................................................................................ 14 COMMON REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATION ................................................................................................ 15 SAMPLE LETTER REQUESTING ACCOMMODATION ........................................................................................... 17 STEP 2 – OBTAINING MEDICAL EVIDENCE........................................................................................... 18 ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES/MULTIPLE CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY CASE CRITERIA CHECKLIST ................................ 19 SAMPLE LETTER: REQUESTING MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION .............................................................................. 20 STEP 3 – KEEP A DETAILED LOG .......................................................................................................... 21 STEP 4 – CREATE AN ACCOMMODATION PLAN................................................................................... 22 SAMPLE LETTER FOLLOWING UP WITH A HOUSING PROVIDER IF NO RESPONSE TO ACCOMMODATION REQUEST II RECEIVED................................................................................................................................................. 23 STEP 5 – APPLICATION AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL ................................................................. 24 HOW TO FILE A HUMAN RIGHTS APPLICATION ............................................................................................... 24 STEPS FOLLOWING A HUMAN RIGHTS APPLICATION ...........

FAQs

What is the duty to accommodate in rental housing under the Ontario Human Rights Code?

The duty to accommodate requires housing providers to take steps to remove barriers for people with disabilities. The toolkit explains guiding principles and the point at which accommodation may amount to undue hardship.

What should renters and advocates prepare when requesting accommodation for environmental sensitivities?

They should start with an initial accommodation request, then obtain and document medical evidence. The toolkit also advises keeping a detailed log and creating an accommodation plan.

What happens if the housing provider does not respond to an accommodation request?

The toolkit provides guidance on sending a follow-up letter to the housing provider. If needed, it outlines how to file and proceed with a human rights application and describes how the human rights system works.

Sep 16, 2026

Upload by Jasmine