Renting your property to strangers is a risky business, even if everything is done following the law. Landlords are usually looking for more information about a person before they trust them with their property. So, they ask for a landlord reference letter to get some background information.
The rental reference letter is usually written by former landlords, employers, supervisors, or other types of people of authority in the applicant’s life. They are asked to share their impression of that person, pointing out that they are reliable, trustworthy, serious, and, not the least, financially independent and stable.
What Is a Landlord Reference Letter?
The cases where tenants have left properties damaged or with serious debts are quite common, unfortunately. So, it’s no wonder landlords are doing the best they can to find out more about a person before signing the contract and handing over the key. The landlord recommendation letter is a useful resource in that sense.
It’s a formal letter written by people who have known the applicant from a position where they could closely observe their character and finances. They testify to the moral attributes, their rental history, financial awareness, and any other aspect they consider relevant.
The most suitable to write a tenant recommendation letter are former landlords, as they can share their experience and offer precisely the type of information that is required. The more details they provide, the better image they paint.
Why Write a Landlord Reference Letter?
People need a landlord reference letter when they are trying to rent a property, to convince the landlord that they are serious, trustworthy and that they can pay the rent on time. The landlord can request it, or the applicant may offer one to prove their positive rental history.
There are two significant situations when the landlord recommendation letter is more frequently used. The first one is when a person is trying to rent a condo or an apartment in an exclusive building; in that case, the landlord will want more detailed information on the possible tenant, going deeper than whether they can pay the rent on time.
The second situation is when a person with bad credit is trying to rent a property. They will need a tenant recommendation letter to show that despite the unfortunate bad credit, they are serious people and will have no problem paying the rent.
It will help if the rental reference letter is written by a former landlord from whom they rented for an extended period. That way, they can prove they are reliable and consistent.
What Should Be Included in a Landlord Reference Letter?
The landlord reference letter is a straightforward document, so if you have to write one, keep it simple and only include relevant information. It doesn’t have to be too long or use complicated or too elevated language.
It’s a purely informative document meant to help your acquaintance rent an apartment, and at the same time, it can help the future landlord be more comfortable with their decision. They have no interest in spending too much time going through the tenant references letter, so don’t overload it, stick to pieces of information that matter.
When it comes to the format, if you look at a landlord reference letter sample, you will see that the main sections are: salutation, introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and sign-off. More specifically, these are the elements you must make sure to include in a landlord reference letter:
- The salutation is a formal greeting, and it usually uses the expression ‘To whom it may concern.’ However, if you know who will read the letter, use their name; they will probably appreciate it, as it shows it’s not just a general letter of recommendation.
- If you are a former landlord, write your name, the name of the tenant, and give details on the period when they rented from you. It’s also useful to mention the rent they paid and that there were no delayed payments.
- The body paragraphs must focus on the character traits of the tenant, as you were able to observe. Depending on how many experiences you want to share, you can add more paragraphs, but make sure it’s only relevant information.
- Do the best you can to provide actual examples, to illustrate your opinion of your former tenant.
- The conclusion should be a brief reissuing of your opinion on the tenant and that you recommend them to any new landlords.
- End the letter with a formal and polite sign-off, and add you name, signature, and contact information.
Conclusion
The landlord reference letter can help a person get ahead of their competition and manage to rent a property even if the odds seem against them in the beginning. It offers valuable information from a previous landlord, regarding their behavior, the lack of problems with paying the rent, and the overall relationship with the landlord and other tenants.
To make sure your landlord recommendation letter is efficient, write it using the rental reference letter template from CocoSign. All the templates we offer are excellent and easy to use.