Writing A Rental Reference Letter: Things To Know

Writing a rental reference letter can be a challenging aspect of being a landlord or property manager. It means that you may be saying goodbye to a great tenant. It can also mean that you have to be honest about the tenant not adhering to the lease, which can impact their housing situation in the future. Knowing how to write and submit the letter can help ease your mind during the process.

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Include necessary information

Think about things you want to see when you receive rental reference letters. Use that to help guide you as to what to include in the reference letter you are writing for this tenant. Include your name, address, and contact information (phone number and/or email address) in case the other landlord needs to get in touch with you. When writing about your tenant, include their name, the lease dates, lease violations (if applicable), and comments on the responsibility of the tenant. Sign the letter. This information should give the other landlord a good overview of the tenant and how they are as renters.

Remain professional

A rental reference letter should be written in a formal tone. The document itself should be formatted to look professional. Proofread the letter before submitting it so you avoid looking unprofessional due to spelling and grammar issues. Stick to the facts of the tenant and avoid opinions you may have. Keep comments on how the tenant was as a renter and do not mention things pertaining to personal details such as race, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

Pet Information

If the tenant in question has pets that are moving to the new space, be sure to include information about these pets. Were they well-behaved around other tenants or did they bite? Were they loud? Did your tenant keep the space clean despite having pets? These are things the new landlord would want to know, so include them in your letter. This allows the landlord to get a full picture of the situation of the renter and the others who may be in the space.

Keep it concise

The landlord is likely sorting through multiple applications for the same space. As such, they do not want to read lengthy letters of flowy sentences that do not make any sense. Keep the letter on-topic and to the point. Avoid using words that you do not know the meaning of. See if there is a guideline for a word count and do your best to adhere to it. Think about the times you have had to read through several applications. Remember that and keep your letter to the point so you do not take up more of the recipient’s time than necessary.

Be honest

When you look at reference letters as you are screening tenants, you hope that the letters are an accurate representation of the tenant so you do not bring in someone who is a bad tenant but has a glowing recommendation letter. Similarly, you need to remain honest and objective in your letter so the landlord receiving the letter can get a good feel of who the person is as a tenant. If you lie and say they are a good tenant but they were constantly late with their rent and had noise complaints every weekend, the other landlord will not trust your future letters since the tenant was not who you said they were. Be aware of the deadline and give yourself enough time to put together a thoughtful letter that is true.

Follow submission instructions

When you write your rental reference letter, you will likely have to send it directly to the potential landlord or upload it to a tenant screening service. You may receive an email with a link to upload the document. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. If you have trouble navigating the submission site or are unsure as to whom to email the letter to, find out as soon as possible and get in contact with someone who can aid you. This ensures that your letter is received properly in the correct format and the tenant does not miss out on a housing opportunity because of an error on your part.

Beware of the deadline

In a perfect world, the tenant will ask you to write the reference letter with plenty of time to write it, proofread, and edit as much as possible. However, this may not be the case. The turnaround may be quick on the landlord’s end or the tenant waiting until the last minute. Either way, it is important to be aware of the deadline and plan accordingly. Start as early as you can to give yourself time to edit your letter and account for any issues that may arise when submitting your article.

Writing a rental reference letter can be tricky, but knowing what to say, how to format it, and how to submit it can take some of the stress away.