Landlord reference letter
A landlord reference letter is five facts and a signature
Whether you are the landlord asked to write one or the tenant asking for one, the letter that gets read is short and checkable: when the tenancy ran, how the rent was paid, how the place was left, whether you would rent again, and how to reach you. Here is the template, and what to leave out.
14 days before the first charge · Nothing is switched on until you say so
Letter of reference
Dates of the tenancy
Rent, and how it was paid
Condition and deposit
Would you rent again
How to reach you
Opinions about the personLeave out
Signed and dated
Who asks, and when
It is asked for when the tenant applies somewhere new
The request usually starts with the next landlord or their agency and reaches you through the tenant. Knowing who reads it tells you what to put in it.
- New landlord
Asks the applicant for a reference
Often as part of checking an application, next to proof of income.
- Tenant
Asks you, ideally before moving out
With the new landlord's name and how they would like to receive it.
- You
Write it from your records
The lease dates, the rent history, the move-out check and the deposit.
- New landlord
Reads it, and may call you
Which is why the letter ends with a way to reach you.
The template
A letter to copy, one fact per paragraph
Fill in the brackets and delete anything that does not apply. Each numbered paragraph carries one of the five facts, so whoever reads it can check them one by one.
[Date]
To whom it may concern,
I confirm that [Tenant name] rented [Property address] from me from [Move-in date] to [Move-out date].
The rent was [Monthly rent amount] a month. It was paid on time and in full throughout the tenancy.
The property was returned in the condition it was let in, apart from normal wear and tear, and the deposit was returned in full. Proper notice was given before moving out.
I would rent to [Tenant name] again.
If you have a question this letter does not answer, you can reach me at [Landlord phone or email].
Kind regards,
[Landlord name]
Dates of the tenancy
Start and end dates, so the reader can match them against the application.
Rent, and how it was paid
The amount, and a plain statement of how it was paid. If some months were late, say how many.
Condition and deposit
How the property was handed back, and what happened to the deposit.
Would you rent again
The yes or no a new landlord is really asking for.
How to reach you
A phone number or an email address, for anything the letter leaves open.
Facts, not opinions
Write only what a record can back up
A new landlord cannot check “a lovely tenant”. They can check a date, an amount and a yes. Here is the same letter both ways.
Instead of
Write
“A great tenant.”
Rent of [amount] was paid on time and in full for all [number] months.
“Very tidy.”
The home was returned in the condition it was let in, and the deposit was returned in full.
“I recommend them.”
I would rent to them again.
“Always easy to deal with.”
Repairs were reported promptly, and proper notice was given before leaving.
Leave out entirely
- Family, health, age, origin or beliefs. None of it says anything about the tenancy.
- Anything you could not back up with a record if the reader called to ask.
- A reason for leaving that you only heard second-hand.
Where the tenancy was
What a new landlord may ask for, and what you may pass on
A reference carries a tenant's personal data, and in some places the law names exactly what a landlord may ask an applicant for. Here is what applies where the tenancy was.
Elsewhere
General guidance- In many places, what a landlord writes about a former tenant is personal data, and data-protection law limits how it may be shared.
- Whether a landlord must give a reference, and what a new landlord may ask an applicant for, is set locally.
We have not researched this place. Keep the letter to facts your records show, and hand it to the tenant rather than to someone you do not know.
Where Dardaris fits
The facts a letter needs are already on file
Dardaris keeps the lease and its dates, matches every rent payment to the month it was for, and files the move-out and the deposit against the same tenancy. When a tenant asks for a reference, ask the front desk: it answers from those records and says how many it read. The words and the signature stay yours.
Tenancy record
Kortrijksesteenweg 88, 2A
L. Peeters
How long was L. Peeters's tenancy, and was the rent ever late?
The lease ran for two years. All 24 rent payments were matched to their month and none was late. The deposit went back in full.
From 27 records
If you are the one reading a letter
What a new landlord should actually look for
A reference is only as useful as it is specific. A short, factual letter with real dates and a real amount is worth more than a warm paragraph with neither.
A specific, first-hand account beats a vague generic note every time. Dates, figures and a clear yes or no on renting again are what make a letter checkable rather than just pleasant to read.
If a letter reads as vague, a short call to the person who signed it usually clears up more than a second letter would.
Landlord reference letter
Questions about landlord reference letters
Is a landlord legally required to give a reference?
This depends on where the property is and is not something to treat as a blanket rule; check what applies locally if it matters to you. In practice, most landlords write one simply because a tenant who paid on time and left the place in good condition is worth vouching for, whether or not anything requires it.
What should a landlord reference letter say?
The dates of the tenancy, the rent and whether it was paid reliably, the condition the property was left in, whether you would rent to the tenant again, and a way to reach you with questions. Specific and checkable beats warm and vague.
How do I ask a former landlord for one?
Ask before you move out, while the tenancy and its details are still fresh. Give them the property address and the dates to jog their memory, and offer to draft the key facts yourself for them to check and sign; a landlord who has to reconstruct a tenancy from scratch is a landlord who puts off writing the letter.
Can I write a reference for a tenant who sometimes paid late?
Yes. Keep to the facts and let the reader weigh them: how many payments were late, whether they were made up, and whether you would rent again. If you would rather not vouch for someone, a short letter that only confirms the dates and the rent is a common middle ground.
What if a former landlord will not write one?
Offer what shows the same facts: the lease for the dates, rent receipts or bank statements for the payments, and the deposit return for the condition. A new landlord will often accept that in place of a letter.
The dates and the rent history, already on file when a tenant leaves.
Start with one building and see what Dardaris keeps track of for you, from the first day of the lease.
14 days before the first charge · Nothing is switched on until you say so