What Is a Rental Verification Form?
A rental verification form, or a landlord verification form, helps landlords confirm a tenant’s past rental details. The current landlord fills out the document and sends it to the tenant’s previous or current landlord. The previous or current landlord then provides the requested information. They can offer insight into the following:
- past lease dates
- rental payments
- property maintenance
- lease violations
This form plays a key role in the tenant screening process. Prospective landlords use it to decide if the tenant is the right fit. If a tenant has a history of late payments or disregard for the property, the landlord can keep looking for a more reliable tenant. This way, they can sign a lease agreement with someone they trust.
Do I Need the Tenant’s Consent to Verify Rent?
Yes. Landlords must get the tenant’s consent before they request their rental history. Even if the landlord will only use the provided information to assess the tenant’s suitability for renting, having consent is important for legal and ethical reasons.
Landlords can get consent in writing on the rental verification form itself or in the initial rental application. Either way, written consent helps the landlord comply with privacy laws and protects them from legal liability in case issues arise later.
When getting consent, be specific. Instead of referring to the tenant’s former or current landlord in general, address them by name and write out the full address of the former property. Make sure to get explicit, written consent, as verbal consent can be hard to prove.
If you contact a tenant’s former landlord without first getting permission, you may breach the tenant’s right to privacy. Get consent upfront to build trust with potential tenants and show professionalism in managing sensitive rental details.
How Does a Rental Verification Form Work?
A rental verification form starts with the landlord looking to rent to a new tenant, and it doesn’t end there. Once the landlord provides the initial information, they send the form to the former or current landlord for further details.
1. Fill Out the Form as the Requesting Party
Begin by obtaining tenant consent to contact their former or current landlord. Once you have the tenant’s clear approval, you can fill out the initial details as the requesting party. Include your name and address to identify yourself.
Then, fill out the information for the recipient, who will either be the tenant’s former or current landlord. List their name and address.
Finally, fill out the tenant’s information, such as their name and address. Specify whether they’re still renting the property they once occupied. You should have this information from the initial rental application.
Accompanying Form
At this stage, you can also gain permission from the tenant to check credit history and criminal records via a background check authorization form.
2. Send the Form to the Former/Current Landlord
After step one, you’ve filled out all the details you can as the requesting party. Now, it’s time to forward the form to the tenant’s former or current landlord, who has more information about your prospective tenant.
As the requesting party, you can explain that you’re seeking the information to decide whether to rent to a tenant. This explanation should be brief and polite to encourage a quick and accurate response.
3. Wait for the Landlord to Provide the Requested Details
You can wait for the former or current landlord to provide the requested information. They will review their records to fill out details about the following:
- rental address
- property description
- monthly rent amount
- security deposit amount
- proof of lease
- lease start and end dates
- timeliness of rent payments
- bounced payments (if any)
- history of lease violations (if any)
- tenant’s behavior
The former or current landlord can make any additional comments that they want the requesting party to know. They’ll sign the form to verify the truthfulness of their statements.
Any information the former or current landlord gives must be true and not defamatory, per Justia.
4. Receive the Form Back
The responding party will send the form back to you when they’ve provided all the requested information. You can use the given information to decide whether to rent to a potential tenant. Be aware of signs of a bad tenant that may inspire you to look elsewhere for another tenant.
Review the returned form along with other documents from the tenant, including an affidavit of residence, to confirm the accuracy of all provided details.
What Are Tips for Filling Out a Landlord Verification Form?
If you were a landlord to a tenant, you may get a landlord verification request from a potential landlord. When this document lands on your desk, you might wonder how to fill it out. Here are some tips to help you complete the form:
- Respond promptly: Answer in a timely manner to be courteous to former tenants.
- Provide thorough information: If asked, give context for any issues, like late payments or compliance issues.
- Respect tenants’ privacy: Only share the information the landlord requested and the tenant has consented to share.
- Stick to the facts: Be objective and avoid personal opinions or negative statements that could be misinterpreted as libel.
- Only include verified details: If certain information isn’t in your records, only provide what you can confirm instead of guessing or assuming.
How Legal Templates Helps With Past Tenant Verification
As a landlord, you can’t rent to just anyone. You should take steps to ensure your tenants have given you accurate information about their rental history.
Legal Templates makes this part of your landlord duties easy with our rental verification form. Our document builder lets you fill out the form as the requesting party and input all the information you have on hand. Then, you can download the form as-is and send it to the tenant’s former or current landlord as a PDF or Word document. Give them time to fill it out and review their response when they return it.
When you use our template, the former or current landlord will know exactly what information to supply. All you have to do is make an informed decision so you can rent with confidence.
Rental Verification Form Sample
Below is an example of a rental verification form template. Create your own today via our document builder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord refuse a verification of a former renter?
Landlords don’t have to provide a rental report unless they receive a court order or a request from a federal agency.
What if a landlord refuses to fill out a rental verification form?
If a landlord doesn’t fill out a rental verification form, you can ask the tenant for rent receipts so they can show proof of past rent payments. You may also ask a tenant for a letter of recommendation from a previous landlord if they will comply with this request instead.
What if a tenant has no rental history?
You can use other methods besides landlord verification forms to get to know their personal and financial backgrounds.
For example, you can ask for a recommendation letter from an employer or someone they know well attesting to their character. You can also review their employment status or pay stubs to see if they can afford to pay rent.
How do I get a rental verification form?
You can get a rental verification form by using our document builder. Start by filling out your information as the requesting party. Then, send the form to the tenant’s former or current landlord so they can provide rental status confirmation and offer further insight into their experience with the tenant.
