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Landlord reference letter template, facts only.

Write a reference for a tenant who's moving on, or ask a previous landlord for one, in the builder below. Or download the three-page template: a fillable reference, a signed request form, and a call sheet for checking a reference by phone.

Also in Word (.docx)See a filled-in example

Fillable PDF · 3 pages · No email or sign-up · Reviewed September 2026

Page 1 of the Landlord reference letter template, filled in with a fictional example applicantFilled-in example

Letter builder

Fill in the facts, get the letter

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Rent paid on time
Proper notice given
Condition of the unit
Complaints during the tenancy
Would you rent to them again?

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Your letter

[date]

To: Whom it may concern

Re: Landlord reference for [tenant name]

I am the landlord of [rental address]. [tenant name] rented this unit from me from [start date] to the present, at a monthly rent of $[rent].

[tenant name] asked me to provide this reference and consented to it on [consent date]. I'm happy to confirm any of the facts above.

Sincerely,

[your name]
[your phone or email]

Filled-in example

See every page, filled in

A fictional landlord, Chris Lee, filled in the real template: the reference on page 1, the tenant's signed request on page 2, and a completed call sheet on page 3.

What to write

Stick to the tenancy

Privacy commissioners in BC and Alberta say what landlords share about a tenant should be limited to their suitability as a tenant: complaints, damage and rent payment history, not personal characteristics.4,5

Put in

  • When the tenancy started and ended
  • The monthly rent, and whether it was paid on time
  • Whether proper notice was given
  • The condition of the unit
  • Complaints during the tenancy

Leave out

  • Family status, children or pregnancy
  • Health or disability
  • Age, race, religion or origin
  • Where their income comes from
  • Anything you can't back up

The second list tracks grounds that human rights law protects in housing, such as family status, disability and receipt of public assistance in Ontario.7 A landlord can't lawfully turn an applicant down because of them, so they have no place in a reference.

Checking a reference

Eight questions to ask a previous landlord

The same questions, in the same order, for every applicant. Page 3 of the PDF is a call sheet with room for the answers.
  1. 1Can you confirm they rented the address from you, and the dates?
  2. 2What was the monthly rent?
  3. 3Was rent paid on time? Is any balance owing?
  4. 4Did they give proper notice before leaving?
  5. 5What condition was the unit in when they left?
  6. 6Were there complaints from neighbours or other tenants?
  7. 7Would you rent to them again?
  8. 8Is there anything else about the tenancy you'd like to add?

Before you call: get the applicant's consent,1 find the landlord's number yourself where you can, and confirm they own or manage the property. Keep the questions to the tenancy, not the person.4,5

The rules

Consent, both ways, and the truth

Get consent before you give one

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada says landlords should get consent both to obtain and to provide references.1 In BC and Alberta, disclosing a tenant's information generally needs their consent too.4,5 The template records the date the tenant agreed.

And before you ask for one

Asking another landlord about an applicant is collecting their information, which needs the applicant's consent.1,3 In one case, the Commissioner found a landlord group and its members each needed proper tenant consent for their own uses.2 Page 2 of the PDF has the applicant sign one.

Truth is the best protection

BC's public legal education sources say truth is a complete defence to defamation, and that an honest reference given to someone with a real interest in it can be protected; malice can lead to extra damages.8,9 Their example is an employer reference; the same logic suggests sticking to facts you can show.

After it comes back

Checking a reference you receive

  1. 1

    Ask the applicant for consent first

    Have them sign page 2 of the PDF, or the consent line in your rental application.1
  2. 2

    Find the previous landlord yourself

    Use contact details you can check independently, not only the number the applicant wrote down, so you know you're talking to the real landlord.
  3. 3

    Ask every applicant the same questions

    Dates, rent, payment, notice, condition and complaints. Ontario's rules expressly allow a landlord to ask for rental history and credit references.6 In Ontario, a lack of rental history shouldn't count against an applicant.7
  4. 4

    Check it against the screening report

    A reference says how the tenancy went; a credit report shows how they pay everyone else. See what's in a full screening report.

References tell you about one landlord. A report covers the rest.

Send your applicant a secure link. They confirm their details and consent, and you get their Equifax credit report and ID verification in one report. No account, no subscription.

See what the report looks like

Got questions?

Landlord references, answered

What questions should I ask a previous landlord?

Ask every reference the same things: can they confirm the dates the applicant rented, the monthly rent, whether rent was paid on time and whether anything is owing, whether proper notice was given, the unit's condition at move-out, any complaints during the tenancy, and whether they would rent to them again. Page 3 of the template is a call sheet with these questions.

Is there a Word version of the landlord reference letter?

Yes. The template comes as a fillable PDF and as a Word (.docx) file, and the builder on this page gives you plain text you can paste anywhere.

What should a landlord reference letter include?

The facts of the tenancy: when it started and ended, the monthly rent and whether it was paid on time, whether proper notice was given, the condition of the unit, and any complaints. The BC and Alberta privacy commissioners say what landlords share about a tenant should be limited to their suitability as a tenant, not personal characteristics.

Can a landlord give a reference without the tenant's consent?

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada says landlords should get consent both to obtain and to provide references, and in BC and Alberta disclosing a tenant's personal information generally requires their consent. Get it in writing: the template has a line for the date the tenant agreed.

Can I give a tenant a bad reference?

You can report facts, including late rent or damage. BC public legal education sources say truth is a complete defence to defamation and that an honest reference given to someone with a real interest in it can be protected, while malice can lead to extra damages. Keep to what happened and what you can show.

How do I ask a previous landlord for a reference?

Get the applicant's written consent first, then send the previous landlord a short request naming the tenancy and the facts you'd like confirmed. The builder on this page writes that request for you, with the applicant's consent paragraph included.

Is the letter builder private?

Yes. Everything you type stays in your browser tab. Nothing is sent to The Great Renter or saved, so copy or print your letter before you close the page.

Keep reading

More free forms

Sources, checked September 2026
  1. 1.Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 10 privacy tips for the rental housing sector
  2. 2.Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, PIPEDA case summary 2009-017 (landlord references and consent)
  3. 3.Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, PIPEDA findings 2016-002
  4. 4.Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, Private sector landlords and tenants
  5. 5.Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta, Guidance for landlords and tenants
  6. 6.Ontario Regulation 290/98 (credit references and rental history)
  7. 7.Ontario Human Rights Commission, Policy on human rights and rental housing
  8. 8.People's Law School (BC), Accused of defamation
  9. 9.Clicklaw Wikibooks (BC), Defamation: libel and slander

This form and page are general information, not legal advice. Laws change; check the linked sources, and talk to a lawyer or your province's tenancy office about your situation.