There are a wide variety of ways for landlords to do due diligence on prospective tenants. One of these ways is to call the previous landlords the tenant rented from.
Landlords typically make it a policy to call previous landlords about tenants, however, depending on the individual landlord, they may or may not end up actually making the call.
On virtually every apartment application, there is a place for tenants to list all the places they stayed in the past 5 years, along with the name of the place, the landlord or manager’s name, and the phone number.
Landlords talk to other landlords to share information about good tenants and bad tenants alike. If there was a really good tenant that is moving to a different complex in another city or state, the previous landlord will be more than happy to sing their praises and make it easy for the tenant to get into another apartment.
If the tenant was a poor tenant, didn’t pay the rent, had to be served notices, or was evicted, the landlord is also not going to be hesitant to tell the other landlord to beware of that renter.
But do the landlords ACTUALLY call the previous landlord?
Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.
Much of this has to do with…
- The personality of the landlord or manager
- Who the applicant is
- Why they are wanting to move in
- What the rest of their application looks like
A landlord that has been burned many times in the past by bad tenants is going to be more likely to call previous landlords than ones who have had decent renters. Also, if it shows on the application that they have been at 7 different complexes in the last 5 years, more than likely, there is something more going on there and just a person moving between jobs. And if it is, the previous landlords will say so and give them a good recommendation and that will be that.
Familiarity also can be another reason why a landlord wouldn’t call their previous landlord. They may know the applicant personally or know where they stayed and why they are moving in. If this is the case, there may be no reason to call the previous landlord whatsoever.
Knowing why an applicant wants to move into the complex is also going to factor in. Are they moving into town because their job or family forced them to transfer in? Or are they just moving down the street from the last place they had a bad experience with? With the former, you probably can expect the landlord to forego the call, but in the latter situation, you can bet you bottom dollar that they are going to call and ask why you are moving and what kind of tenant you are.
Can I Lie About My Previous Landlord?
Technically, you CAN lie about your previous landlord. This obviously runs the risk of if they call the number you list for the reference, however.
Remember, that landlords have seen it all, including fake references from previous landlords. If they pick up the phone and call the number you put down in the application, your new landlord is going to be able to tell pretty quickly whether or not the person is an actual landlord or not.
Many times, when people put their friends down as their previous manager and instruct them to say good things if their new landlord happens to call, they will have short, brief answers to the questions, and be in a rush to get off the phone, because it is uncomfortable to lie to another person for an extended period of time.
Landlords can sniff out this behavior and if they do a simple google search for the complex or place you stayed at last time, the ruse could be up pretty quick.
This isn’t ground for going to jail or anything like that, but it will absolutely ensure that you don’t get the apartment you want. You can also be sure that you are going to have insulted the manager or landlord you were trying to rent from. They are going to call the ACTUAL place you stayed, let them know what you did, so they have that information going forward if another landlord or manager calls them.
The best thing to do if you have a spotty rental history shows the landlord or manager how you have changed, explain what went on at the last place you were a tenant at, and show that the same isn’t going to happen going forward.
What Can A Landlord Ask A Previous Landlord?
The number one question that I see landlords ask the previous landlord is “Would you rent to this person again?”
There are other important questions to ask, as a landlord is going to want to make the most informed decision on the applicant as possible, but having your previous landlord say that the would rent to you again is probably the most important question a landlord is going to ask.
Now obviously, there are things that a landlord CAN’T ask the other landlord for legal reasons. Such as anything involving race, or sex, or religion, or even disability. And as a rule, landlords tend not to care very much about these things, regardless of what you may have heard or read. They are in the business of making money, which means getting the best tenants in their apartment complex as possible. If you are going to be a good renter that pays on time, is a good neighbor to the rest of the tenants, and doesn’t cause any problems, they could care less about any of that other stuff.
Here are some other questions you might see a landlord ask another landlord…
- When did the tenant rent for you and for how long?
- Why did they leave your property?
- Did they pay the rent on time?
- Did the tenant cause any damage to the apartment?
- Did the tenant receive any complaints from neighbors?
Now, the questions can get more specific than that on any of those topics, but these are the main items that the landlord is going to want to touch on.
Can A Previous Landlord Give A Bad Reference?
A landlord can give a tenant a bad reference if they have cause to do so. They cannot say things like “I just didn’t like the person.” Or “I didn’t trust them.” Or “I had a suspicion that they were doing such and such.” They can only give information that the other landlord specifically asks for, and in a professional manner.
The way the questions are worded from one landlord to another accomplishes this goal without the need to get into how the previous landlord or manager happened to feel about the individual tenant. If there was something they think the new landlord needs to know about, they will let them know.
Some tenants falsely believe that landlords will only give them bad reference if they leave their apartment complex for any reason whatsoever. Actually, this is far from the truth.
Many landlords will actually give GOOD references to poor tenants simply to get them out of their complex and into another. Obviously, this isn’t any better or more ethical that the tenant themselves lying about their past rental history, but it does happen.
How To Get Past A Bad Landlord References
To get past a bad landlord reference, you need to demonstrate to the landlord that you can, and will be, a good tenant.
Many times, your rental history will follow you around from place to place, for up to 7 years. This means that poor behavior can follow you around a lot longer than you maybe want it to, especially if you have changed some of the things in your life for the better.
The best thing to do is to show your landlord that you ARE a trustworthy tenant that is going to pay their rent on time, and they are going to have no trouble with it.
Landlords are all about managing risk, which is why the application process exists in the first place. If you can show that you have a good, steady income, and haven’t had any issues in recent history with other landlords, this is going to help make your cause for you.
Also, be honest with your landlord about what happened with your previous landlord. Did you have a bad roommate that you are no longer living with? Tell them. Did you miss some payments because you were between jobs? Be honest and tell them. They are going to be much more appreciative and understanding to someone who is willing, to be honest, and upfront with them than with someone who attempts to hide what actually happened.
And remember, landlords have seen it all!
Landlords typically call other landlords in an effort to see what the applicant was like at the last place they stayed. Where they a good tenant? Would the previous landlord rent to them again? If there were problems, what kind of problems were there?
Your landlord wants to know what kind of a tenant you were at the last place you rented so they can make an informed decision about letting you rent at their apartment complex.
If you have something on your rental history that may prevent you from renting at a new complex, be upfront with your new manager about what they may find, tell them honestly what happened, and let them know the steps you are going to take to make your new arrangements better.
