Rental History

A prospective landlord may want to get information from current and prior landlords to determine whether you will be a good tenant.

Prospective landlords may ask you to list where you have lived in recent years, including contact information for prior landlords. They may also ask you to sign a form giving them permission to contact a former landlord in order to ask information about you as a tenant, although they do not have to ask you permission to do this. However, refusing permission may result in being rejected.

Before contacting prospective landlords, it may be a good idea to contact former landlords and tell them that they may be receiving a reference request from another landlord. Sometimes your former landlord may have changed management companies and the new company may not have a record of your tenancy. In that case, try and track down former employees that knew you and can vouch for you and see if they are ok with you giving their contact information with your application. If you are afraid that a current or former landlord may unfairly give you a bad reference, one thing to do is to ask that landlord for a simple reference letter that says you paid the rent on time. You can also show prospective landlords that circumstances have changed. For example, if you lost your job and were unable to pay the rent, but now you have a job or have a voucher or benefits so that you can pay the rent, this is important information to provide.

If there were times when you were not renting, you should identify those gaps on your application. A landlord may deny you housing if they believe that gaps are an attempt to hide a negative landlord reference. Explain gaps in your rental history, such as if you were living with family or friends, living in an emergency shelter, or some other situation.

If you don’t have a rental history, you can use other sources to demonstrate your reliability and ability to pay rent on time. For instance, payments for car loans, utilities, cell phones, or insurance can show you are responsible. Additionally, providing letters of reference from clergy, shelter staff, or employers can highlight your character and assure the landlord that you will take care of the apartment and respect the rights of others.

Other ways to show you would be a good tenant include:

• Providing proof of steady income: Pay stubs or bank statements (with private information redacted) can demonstrate your financial stability.
• Showing a good credit score: A solid credit history can show you paid your utility bill for example on time.
• Having a co-signer: If possible, a co-signer for your lease with a good rental history (or credit score) can vouch for you.