Tenant reference letter template

How do I provide a tenant reference?

The tenant’s potential landlord may contact you by telephone or by email to ask you a few questions about the tenant’s rental history with you. Or the tenant may ask you to write a reference letter addressed to their potential new landlord.

Why is a tenant reference letter needed?

A tenant may ask you to write a letter of reference for a potential landlord. The letter helps the tenant show that they are responsible, quiet, and that they pay their rent on time — qualities any landlord will look for when choosing a tenant. It also confirms the period of their lease with you.

What should I include in the letter?

The letter should include the tenant’s name, your rental property address, and the date range that they lived in your rental property.

In addition to this basic information, you should indicate things like:

• If the tenant paid the rent on time
• If they kept the unit clean and tidy
• Whether they ever violated any of the lease terms
• If they had pets and if so, whether the pets were a problem
• If the tenant smoked

Best practices for writing a tenant reference

In the letter, make sure to only include relevant, factual information and avoid stating opinions or feelings. For example, if the tenant was late paying the rent, you can certainly mention it, but don’t call them a deadbeat.

Here’s a list of do’s and dont’s to keep in mind:

Do’s

• Keep the tone objective, professional, and tenancy-focused.
• Include information that can be verified or substantiated.
• Consider the weight of any negative information before including it — a minor, one-off incident tells a different story than a pattern of behaviour.

Don’ts

• Don’t write a glowing reference for a tenant who didn’t deserve one, as it can create problems for the next landlord.
• Don’t volunteer personal or sensitive information about the tenant that isn’t relevant to the tenancy.
• Don’t exaggerate or embellish the facts — an honest reference is more valuable to all parties than an inflated one.

Sample tenant reference letter

Commonly asked questions

Am I obligated to write a tenant reference letter?

No. But in most cases, a landlord will happily provide a reference, especially if the tenant was reliable and paid their rent on time.

However, if you have had a negative experience with the tenant, you are well within your rights to not provide a reference.

If my tenant had a dispute with a neighbour, should I mention it in the letter?

Not always. It all depends on the context.

If the dispute was an isolated incident, was resolved, and did not otherwise affect their tenancy (they continued to pay the rent on time, they kept the unit clean and tidy, etc.), it may not be relevant to mention it in the letter.

However, if the tenant received several legitimate complaints from neighbours (perhaps they liked to hold loud parties or their dog wouldn’t stop barking), it would certainly be worth mentioning.

Do I have to indicate the rental amount?

While some landlords indicate the amount of the monthly rent in the letter, it is not mandatory to do so. However, if the tenant always met their monthly obligations, this information could only serve to reinforce the reliability of the tenant in the eyes of a potential landlord.

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