How to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report in Ontario

Why Your Credit Report Matters

Your credit report is used by lenders, landlords, employers, and insurance companies to assess your creditworthiness. Errors on your credit report can result in higher interest rates, loan denials, rental rejections, and other significant financial consequences.

Your Right to a Free Credit Report in Canada

Under Canada's federal Consumer Reporting Act and Ontario's provincial law, you have the right to request a copy of your credit report from each credit bureau for free, by mail. The two major credit bureaus operating in Canada are Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.

Common Credit Report Errors

• Accounts that don't belong to you (potentially indicating identity theft)
• Wrong account status (showing as delinquent when paid in full)
• Outdated information (negative items older than 6–7 years that should have been removed)
• Duplicate accounts showing the same debt twice
• Incorrect personal information (wrong address, SIN, date of birth)
• Wrong credit limit reported, artificially inflating your utilization ratio

How to Dispute an Error

1. Obtain your credit reports from both Equifax and TransUnion
2. Identify the specific error and gather supporting documentation
3. Submit a written dispute to the relevant credit bureau (online or by mail)
4. The credit bureau must investigate (typically within 30 days) and correct or delete inaccurate information
5. Request that the corrected report be sent to any creditor who received your report in the past 60 days

If the Bureau Does Not Correct the Error

If you are not satisfied with the credit bureau's response, you can add a consumer statement (up to 100 words in Ontario) to your credit file explaining the dispute. You can also file a complaint with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC).