How To Write A Landlord Rental Recommendation Letter For A Tenant
Introduction
As a landlord, one of your most important responsibilities is to find and select tenants who will take care of your property and pay rent on time. A rental reference letter can help you make an informed decision when renting your property to prospective tenants. This straightforward process can provide landlords and property managers with a level of comfort that they are renting to someone with a positive track record. As an industry, it is helpful to require reference letters and provide notes for former tenants.
Basics of Writing a Rental Reference Letter
To write a rental reference letter for a tenant, start by introducing yourself and outlining your relationship with the tenant. Next, provide details about how long you have known them and any positive attributes you noticed during this time.
It can also be helpful to provide examples of specific instances when the tenant went above and beyond to take care of your property or contribute positively to your rental community(If applicable).
As you write your rental recommendation letter, remember to be as specific and detailed as possible. This will help ensure that future landlords have the information they need to make a sound decision about whether or not to rent to this particular tenant.
There are many different templates available online that you can use to write a rental reference letter for a tenant. We are here as an excellent resource to help you with easy and effective landlord reference letters, templates, and guidelines that can help you get started with this process.
Important Elements
In general, a good template for writing a simple rental reference letter will include the following elements:
- Your name and contact information, as well as the tenant's name and contact information
- A statement introducing yourself and outlining your relationship with the tenant, such as how long you have known them or whether you are a landlord, property manager, etc.
- Details about the positive attributes that the tenant displayed while living in your rental property, such as paying rent on time or taking care of the property
- Ways that the tenant contributed positively to your rental community or neighborhood, if applicable
- Any specific examples that you can provide to back up your statements and demonstrate the tenant's positive qualities
- Additionally, consider including the tenant's contact information or your own in your letter so that the landlord can easily access both parties if they have any questions or concerns about the recommendation.
Here are a couple of more fleshed-out examples below:
Example 1
(Name of Individual Providing the Recommendation)
(Their Street Address)
(Their City, State, Zip Code)
(Date)
(Potential Landlord Or Apartment Company's Name)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip Code)
Re: Tenant Recommendation Letter for (Your Name)
Dear (Name of landlord or leasing office manager),
I am reaching out to put my support behind (Your Name) for tenancy. (He or she) lived at (previous place of residence) from (Date to date). (He or she) was an excellent tenant who was dependable and trustworthy. (He or she) paid her rent on time without fail for the entire length of (his or her) lease. We highly recommend (him or her) as a tenant in your complex.
If you have any questions regarding (Your Name) reliability as a potential tenant, I am available by (phone or email).
Sincerely,
(Name and Signature)
(Phone Number or Email Address)
Example 2
(Name of Individual Providing the Recommendation)
(Street Address)
City, State, Zip Code
Date
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to recommend (Your Name), a former tenant in our rental community. (He or she) lived with us from (Date) to (Date), and (he or she) was a model tenant throughout that time.
(Your Name) consistently paid rent on time, kept our property in good condition, and contributed positively to the community. In particular, I would like to highlight (his or her) reliability as well as (his or her) commitment to maintaining the property.
(Your Name) is a great tenant who will make a responsible and reliable addition to any rental community, and I highly recommend (him or her) as such. If you have any further questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me at (phone number or email address).
Sincerely,
(Name and Signature)
(Phone Number or Email Address)
(Your Name)
Conclusion:
When writing a tenant reference letter, it is essential, to be honest, and objective. This will help ensure that the landlord or property manager has all the information they need to decide whether or not to rent to that particular tenant. It is also essential to be thorough and specific in describing the tenant's positive qualities, as this will help further demonstrate their suitability.
Additionally, being honest and objective in your letter can also help to protect you from any potential legal or financial repercussions if the tenant later has problems with the new landlord. Overall, honesty and objectivity are crucial when writing a tenant reference letter, as they will help ensure that all parties involved are best served.
If you do not write your tenant a recommendation letter, there may be consequences for you and the tenant. For example, the tenant may need help finding another place to live due to landlords being reluctant to rent to them because you refused to provide a positive recommendation.
Additionally, you may face legal or financial repercussions if the tenant later has problems with their new landlord due to your failure to provide a recommendation. For these reasons, it is crucial always to be honest and objective when writing a recommendation letter for a tenant, as this will help ensure that all parties involved are best served.
It is easy to write a tenant recommendation letter. All you need to do is be truthful and objective in your description of the tenant, highlighting their positive qualities while being honest about potential shortcomings. You should also be thorough in your description of the tenant's reliability or commitment to maintaining the property. This will help ensure that the landlord has all the information they need to make an informed decision about the tenant.
My name is Nick Caucci and I help run the Rentroom blog. Over the years, I have seen and helped many different property managers and owner-operators streamline their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly workflows.