Most previous work studying the possible relation between the presence of non-axisymmetric structures such as bars and rings in a galaxy, and the presence of activity in their nuclei, has been hampered by imperfections in the selection of sample galaxies, and especially of a control sample of non-active galaxies. We have started to tackle this problem by studying the morphological characteristics of the CfA sample of Seyfert galaxies, and of an objectively defined control sample. We first compare the morphological classifications of the Seyfert galaxies, as taken from the RC3 catalogue, with those of a synthetic sub-sample of the RC3 whose distribution in terms of type, inclination angle, and absolute magnitude is matched exactly to that of the Seyfert sample. Second, we check the validity of the RC3 classifications for Seyfert galaxies using a completely new set of sub-arcsecond multicolor near-infrared images, obtained mostly with the WHT and CFHT, of the whole CfA sample, and of a second control sample, carefully matched in morphological classification to the Seyfert sample. We present our results on the fractions of barred and ringed host galaxies, and discuss the implications for fuelling of active galactic nuclei.