Top landlords use rental verification forms to fill in the gaps. As part of thorough tenant screening, these documents give you direct feedback from previous landlords. They clue you in on whether the applicant paid rent on time, respected the property, and followed the lease agreement.
When you’re considering a new tenant, their rental application and credit report only tell part of the story. They give you basic facts and numbers to help you understand if a renter meets your qualifications. But they don’t tell you about the real-world experience of having someone as a tenant.
These simple forms provide a clearer picture of an applicant’s rental history, taking the guesswork out of your approval process. In this guide, we’ll cover what a rental verification form includes, when to use it, the laws that govern them, and how to make the most of the responses you receive.
What are rental verification forms?
A rental verification form is a document landlords use to request information about an applicant’s rental history. While rental application forms and credit reports provide helpful financial information, rental verification forms add personal and behavioral insights to your screening process.
Property owners send the form to the renter’s current or previous landlords, pulling their contact information from the application’s references section. Property owners typically use them to ask questions such as:
- How long did the tenant live there?
- Did they ever miss rent payments? If so, how many?
- Were there any major problems, such as property damage, neighbor complaints, or lease violations?
- Do you recall if they ever paid rent late? If so, was it habitual?
These forms give you a sense of the kind of experience you may have if you take the renter on as a tenant. They help you assess the potential reliability of the renter using the real experience of other property owners, not just numbers on paper.
Why use landlord verification forms?
Renters who appear to be ideal tenants based on employment or cash flow could turn out to be the opposite. They might carelessly damage the property, fall behind on rent, or become a nuisance to the neighborhood. The truth is, there’s more to a person than what they present on paper.
But that’s where a rental verification form comes in. These critical documents help you pull information from an unbiased third party and add valuable context you wouldn’t find in an application or credit report. It gives you direct insight into how the renter behaved during their last tenancy, straight from someone who’s been in your shoes.
Here’s why it’s worth including in your screening process for every property:
- It helps confirm application details: You can verify the tenant’s rental history, including their residency dates and monthly rent amount.
- It reveals payment patterns: A renter who habitually pays late or accumulates outstanding balances is a red flag.
- It helps you avoid disputes: You can use the form to defend yourself if a renter challenges your decision.
- It highlights potential issues: You’ll want to know if they have a history of prior complaints, damage, or lease violations.
- It shows how the renter ended their tenancy. Find out whether they gave proper notice and whether they left the property in clean, well-maintained condition.
- It helps you make an informed decision. A positive reference can give you added confidence, but a poor one may help you avoid an expensive mistake.
Not every property owner will respond to your request. However, even one rental verification form can add meaningful insight to your screening process.
11 Common Questions to Include in Rental Verification Forms
When reaching out to a renter’s current or former landlord, it’s essential to maintain a consistent, professional approach. A standardized list of questions helps you get the information you need while keeping your screening process legally compliant.
Use your form to ask landlords the following questions:
- What were the tenant’s move-in and move-out dates?
- How much was the monthly rent amount?
- Were they ever late on rent, or did they miss payments altogether?
- Was the tenant ever more than 30 days late on rent?
- When the lease ended, did they fail to pay any rent or fees?
- Did they ever break the lease or receive any official warnings?
- Was there any property damage beyond normal wear and tear?
- Did neighbors or other tenants ever complain about them?
- What condition did they leave the property in after move-out?
- Did they give proper notice before ending their lease?
- Would you rent to them again? And if not, why?
These questions give you a well-rounded view of the applicant’s behavior, reliability, and risk level.
What can’t landlords ask for?
Now that we’ve covered the key points to include, it’s important to note that laws make specific topics off-limits. If you touch upon restricted topics, you could violate fair housing laws or increase your risk of discrimination claims.
Here’s what you need to know about federal and local regulations:
The Fair Housing Act (FHA): The FHA prohibits you from discriminating based on or asking questions about the following federally-protected characteristics:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial status
- Disability (Fair Housing Act)
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): All U.S. landlords can’t discriminate against renters based on their disability and must accommodate their condition (Americans with Disabilities Act).
State-specific regulations: These laws vary from state to state, and some cities also have their own local regulations. Here’s what you usually can’t ask about, and examples of the state laws prohibiting it:
- Sexual orientation or gender identity: California law prohibits discrimination based on these protected characteristics (Cal. Civ. Code § 12955(a)).
- Unconvicted criminal cases: Maryland (Md. SB 635) and New Jersey (N.J. Stat. § 46:8-52) have laws barring property owners from asking about criminal history in certain circumstances.
- Immigration status or citizenship: Illinois law specifically lists immigration status as a protected characteristic (775 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/3-102).
As a rule of thumb, always check your area’s legal guidelines and speak with a trusted lawyer if you have questions.
How to Keep Your Process Legally Compliant
Follow these best practices to keep your tenant screening fair and unbiased:
- Only ask about rent payment history, lease compliance, property damage, and behavior related to tenancy.
- Avoid accepting any information that violates the renter’s privacy, such as their credit score, medical history, or Social Security number.
- Apply your rental verification process consistently across all applicants.
- Always disclose your screening criteria in advance and obtain the applicant’s written consent to contact their references.
Don’t forget to document the entire process, including when you contact landlords, the questions you asked, and the answers they provided. Creating a detailed paper trail can help you defend yourself in case a dispute ever arises.
When and How to Send Rental Verification Forms
Send a rental verification form after you’ve confirmed the renter meets your baseline criteria, but before making your final decision. Integrate this step into your broader income verification and criminal background check process. Here’s what you need to know:
Written vs. oral verification: While it’s possible to get rental verification over the phone, it’s much safer to keep everything in writing. A written form provides a consistent set of questions, ensures accurate documentation, and protects you in case a denied applicant challenges your decision.
You can send a rental verification form in several ways, including:
- Email: Attach a PDF of the form with a clear subject line and instructions.
- Online platforms: Many property management software include built-in tools for sending and tracking verification requests.
- Certified Mail: Include a stamped return envelope to encourage them to reply.
- Phone (only as a follow-up): If a few days pass without a response, make a polite follow-up call. Take notes and document the conversation.
Pro tip: Landlords and property managers are more likely to respond if your form is brief and straightforward. Keep it simple by using a one-page format with checkboxes or short answer spaces.
5 Tips for Interpreting Responses
Once the renter’s previous landlord sends you their form, it’s time to take a deeper look. Here’s how top landlords pull real insights out of the verification form:
1. Look for Consistency
Does the information match what the applicant listed on their rental application? If you spot discrepancies, such as different move-out dates or rent amounts, consider asking follow-up questions to get clarity.
2. Consider the Context
A single late payment or a minor complaint isn’t necessarily a red flag. Instead, consider the overall pattern. Was rent paid late once in two years, or every other month? Did the tenant resolve the issue quickly, or did they fail to take action at all?
3. Assess the Source
Did a property manager, landlord, or employee of a larger business entity fill out the form? The level of detail and the quality of their answers may vary depending on who’s responding, and how well they knew the renter.
4. Pay Attention to Tone
Even short answers like “Yes, I would rent to them again” or “No, I would not” can carry weight. A lack of detail or reluctance to respond might also suggest the property owner had concerns they didn’t want to put in writing.
5. Follow Up if Needed
If something on the form doesn’t make sense, or if you receive conflicting information, it’s okay to follow up with the previous landlord. Just keep the conversation professional and focused on facts, not opinions.
You can also ask them to provide a landlord reference letter to give you additional insights beyond what’s in the form.
What to Do After You Approve or Deny an Applicant
Here’s how you can maintain legal compliance from start to finish:
Approval Proces
If all the information checks out, you can decide to accept the renter as your new tenant. Once you’ve approved a tenant, keep the process professional by following up with a residential lease agreement and a tenant welcome letter. These forms help you set the tone for a positive relationship even before you hand over the keys.
Denial Process
Always apply a consistent denial procedure to all applicants you reject. Remember, if you deny renters based on their credit or background check, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires you to send them an adverse action notice (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
Some states, like Colorado (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-904), require you to send rejection letters to every renter. But not all jurisdictions require this, so check your local laws or speak with a lawyer.
As a best practice, retain denied applications and screening reports for at least 3 years. If a dispute arises, you can use these files to defend yourself.
Download Your Free Rental Verification Form PDF
A rental verification form is one of the simplest and most effective tools you can use during the tenant screening process. It helps you:
- Confirm what your applicant told you.
- Provide context behind the numbers on their credit report.
- Offer real-world insight from someone who’s rented to them before.
Whether you’re managing one property or several, having a consistent way to request and review rental history can help you avoid costly mistakes and make better leasing decisions.
Pro tip: Take control of your rental process with property management software. Top landlords use digital tools to quickly and efficiently screen tenants, create leases, and stay organized, all in one place.
