Rental References for Landlord Verification
One of the common steps in screening a tenant is to get verification from previous landlords that the tenant you are wanting to rent to was or is a good tenant. Unfortunately, many landlords don't want to fill these requests, especially if they are trying to get rid of a resident. And if they do provide it, how can you be sure they were truthful, especially if they really want the tenant to move?
If we turn things around and look at it from your perspective as the landlord of the tenant you are wanting to move out, how do you reply to those? Are you truthful by letting the inquiring landlord of the issues you have had? Even when given objective yes/no questions, how do you approach those situations?
There have been situations in some states around the country where attorneys have been hired by tenants to sue former landlords
stating they were intentionally preventing their ability to rent based on the poor references the previous landlord was giving to the new landlord. Even if the things were true, there are cases where the legal system agreed with the tenants and punished the previous landlords severely.
This is a risk you may not want to take, and here's my recommendation and tip.
When you are asked by a landlord to verify rental history, simply respond with: "Our policy is that we do not provide verifications, but instead the tenant is welcome to print out their portal record and ledger to demonstrate their overall rental history. These printouts will confirm the tenancy period, rent amount, payment history, fees charged, and other information that may be helpful in your decision making process."
Do I recommend that you still ask landlords for verification of your prospective residents? Yes, I do. But please remember, whatever they tell you will need to be taken with a grain of salt. Their motivations are likely to be influencing their responses to you. You should also request the tenant's ledger and portal printouts.
If you find this helpful, please share!
~ Nate