Use our Rental History Verification Form in PDF format. Create your document with our template and ensure the information listed on every potential tenant’s application is accurate.
Last Update July 27th, 2023

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- What Is a Rental Verification Form
- Why Is it Important to Verify a Tenant’s Rental Background
- How to Verify a Tenant’s Rental History
- How to Write a Rental Verification Letter
- Rental Verification Form Sample
- Other Real Estate Documents
- FAQs About Rental Verification Forms
What Is a Rental Verification Form
A Rental Verification Form is a legal document that landlords and property managers use to verify a tenant’s rental history. The form confirms the previous tenant’s:
Information listed on their application
Behavior in their previous residence
Ability to pay rent
By receiving this confirmation on a Rental History Verification Form you’ll have an easier time ensuring that a potential tenant is being completely honest on their application.
This form helps you make an informed decision about the potential tenant.
It's important to note that in order to obtain and use this information, the tenant usually needs to provide written consent due to privacy laws.
You can draft your own document in minutes with our Rental Verification Form template and give yourself more peace of mind during your tenant search.
Why Is it Important to Verify a Tenant’s Rental Background
There are various benefits to using a Verification of Rental History Form when checking a potential renter’s history.
Mainly, the form allows you to find out about how the tenant acted in a previous rental property in the following areas:
Financial responsibility: It confirms if a tenant has a history of paying rent on time.
Property care: Records can predict if a tenant will maintain the rented property well.
Stability: Previous long-term tenancies can indicate a tenant's likelihood of a stable, long-term stay.
Legal avoidance: Checking helps avoid tenants with problematic histories, reducing potential legal issues.
Lease compliance: It helps identify if a tenant has violated rental agreements in the past, signaling potential risks.
By reviewing these specific details you can make certain that you will not be locked into a lease agreement with an untrustworthy tenant.
How to Verify a Tenant’s Rental History
Understanding how to check a prospective tenant’s rental background is essential as you don’t want to miss any crucial information during your verification.
There are a few steps you must take to ensure that you can verify an applicant’s rental history.
Give the tenant an application: Start by having the potential tenant fill out a comprehensive rental application.
Contact previous landlords: Ask about the tenant's payment history, lease term, property maintenance, and any potential problems.
Review form: Analyze the responses you receive. Look for consistency in the tenant's payment history, behavior, and respect for the property.
If possible, you could also cross-verify the information provided by performing a background check.
Based on what you collect from the tenant and their previous landlord, you should be able to decide on the tenant's application.
How to Write a Rental Verification Letter
When creating a Tenant Rental Verification Form it’s critical to include all the necessary parts that make it possible to confirm the applicant’s information.
Follow these steps to correctly write your Verification Form:
Make a field for the tenant's details: Include fields for the tenant's name and current address.
State the tenant’s consent: Display that the tenant provides their consent to release the information and then leave a space for the tenant's signature and date.
Include a field for the landlord’s details: Add a section where the current or previous landlord can input their contact details, including their name, address, phone number, and email.
Ask about the tenant’s rental history: Ensure you ask questions regarding any late rent, problems paying rent, pets, damage to the property, and any other possible violations you’d like to know about.
Include a statement of certification: Add a statement at the bottom for the landlord to sign, certifying that they have answered each question honestly.
Use our easy-to-use template to easily create your Rental Verification Form and avoid any mistakes in your document.
Rental Verification Form Sample
To better understand how to structure your document and what topics you should ask about, we have included a Rental Verification Form example.
Study the example below to completely understand how your form should be created.

Other Real Estate Documents
For both landlords and tenants, there are various legal forms you can use to make the rental process go smoother.
Rent-to-Own Agreement
These documents can help you in various situations involving real estate matters.
FAQs About Rental Verification Forms
When creating your form it’s critical to include all the necessary sections, otherwise, it may be considered invalid or not provide sufficient details.
For further key information, we have responded to FAQs regarding Rental History Verification Forms.
Read the answers to the common questions below.
Who Can Use a Rental Verification Form?
Typically, the individuals who use a rental verification forms are landlords and property managers.
However, it’s also possible for real estate agents or housing authorities to use the form to gather information about a rental applicant.
Tenants can also create or download a form to directly give to their current landlord to complete, saving some time in the process.
How Long Does a Rental Verification Take?
The length of time it takes to complete a rental verification can vary depending on the current or previous landlord’s circumstances and the information needed.
However, typically it takes a few business days to complete the process.
You can also speed up the overall process with by using our Rental Verification Form template to create your document quickly without having to wait for an attorney to create one for you.
What Should I Do if the Prospective Tenant Has no Rental History?
Not every prospective tenant will have a rental history, especially if they have just graduated from college, for example.
However, there are other ways that you can learn about them both personally and financially. You can ask the prospective tenant to provide you with a recommendation letter that speaks to their good character.
You should also ask to see a copy of their employment contract and pay stubs to ensure that they will be able to pay their rent.