A landlord reference letter is a short letter from a current or past landlord confirming how long a tenant rented, how much they paid, whether rent was on time and how they left the home. Fill in the details below and your letter writes itself.
When a tenant asks for a reference, My Rental Spot already has their payment history, move-in and move-out reports, and every message stored and timestamped.
Get Started Free →It is a letter a landlord or property manager writes for a tenant who is applying somewhere new. The next landlord uses it to answer one question: will this person pay rent and look after the home? It is different from a tenant reference check, the form a landlord fills in while calling an applicant's references.
Keep it to one page and stick to facts you can prove from your records.
Name, company if you have one, phone and email, so the next landlord can verify the letter with a quick call.
The tenant's full name, the rental address, move-in and move-out dates, and the monthly rent.
Whether rent was paid on time and in full. This is the line most landlords read first.
How the home was left, and whether the tenant gave proper notice or is still a tenant in good standing.
One sentence. If you would rather not say, leave it out rather than hedge.
A signed, dated letter on letterhead or from a business email carries more weight than an unsigned note.
Three common situations. Copy the one closest to yours and change the details.
The landlord or property manager who managed the tenancy. If the owner never dealt with the tenant directly, a letter from the property manager who collected the rent is usually more useful.
Yes, and it often speeds things up. The tenant fills in the facts using the form above, and the landlord checks every line against their records before signing.
One page. Three short paragraphs are enough: the tenancy, payments and condition, and how to contact you.
Writing a reference is a favor, so ask politely and early. If the answer is still no, offer the new landlord other proof: rent payment records, bank statements, or a shareable Renter Score link that shows your verified payment history.
No. The letter is written by your past landlord and given to you. A reference check is done by your new landlord, who calls or emails your references. Many landlords do both. Our tenant reference check form is the template for the second.
Yes, if you have one. Attach it with your proof of income and ID. A one-page rental resume is a good place to list it alongside your other references.
No, but it helps. A letter on company letterhead, or sent from a business email address, is easier for the next landlord to verify.
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