Hard vs Soft Inquiry
A hard inquiry is a credit check for a lending decision that can lower your score; a soft inquiry, like checking your own credit, does not.
An inquiry is recorded on your credit report when someone checks your credit. Canadian credit bureaus sort inquiries into two kinds, hard and soft. Only hard inquiries can affect your credit score.
A hard inquiry, sometimes called a hard hit, happens when a lender or other business checks your credit to make a decision. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada lists credit card, mortgage, loan and credit applications as examples. It also lists some rental applications and some employment applications. Hard inquiries affect your score, and anyone who views your report can see them.
A soft inquiry, or soft hit, appears only on the version of the report that you can see. It does not affect your score. One example is requesting your own credit report. Another is a company you already deal with, such as a phone or internet provider, checking your file to update its records. Checking your own credit never lowers your score.
A few hard inquiries are normal. TransUnion says inquiries have only a small impact on a score. But the FCAC warns that many inquiries close together may suggest to lenders that you urgently need credit or are overspending. When you shop for a car loan or mortgage, quotes from several lenders within a 2-week period are treated as one inquiry. Lender inquiries stay on your report for 3 years with Equifax and 6 years with TransUnion.
Because some rental checks are hard inquiries, it is reasonable to ask a landlord or screening company which kind they will run. In most provinces they need your consent first. In Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, they only have to tell you.
Sources
- FCAC: Improve your credit score
- FCAC: How long information stays on your credit report
- TransUnion Canada: Credit score
- FCAC: Credit report and score basics
Last reviewed October 16, 2026.
Related terms in Screening & Credit
- Protected Grounds Personal characteristics, such as race, disability or receipt of public assistance, that a landlord cannot use to refuse or treat a renter unfairly.
- Rent-to-Income Ratio Rent as a share of an applicant's income. In Ontario, using it as a cut-off is illegal outside subsidized housing.
- Rental Application The form and documents a prospective tenant submits to be considered for a rental, limited by privacy and human-rights law.
- Tenant Screening How a landlord assesses a rental applicant's income, references, rental history and credit, within human-rights and privacy law.
General information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules change and vary by province; confirm the current details with the relevant authority before you rely on them.