As the owner or manager of a rental property, you may be called upon to verify claims made by your tenant. A rental verification letter confirms your tenant’s claims whenever they’re applying for a loan, opening a bank account, or undergoing any registration that requires proof of residence.
This letter can confirm multiple things, depending on what the organization requesting it asks for. It can confirm their rental status in your property, if they pay their rent on time, and in some cases, you may be required to attest to their conduct or character.
A rental verification letter can even be requested by another landlord who’s interested in getting information about a past or current tenant. This kind of verification letter is akin to a reference letter, except this is for accommodation purposes and not for work.
A rental verification letter is an official letter and must follow official letter etiquette. This means it must be formatted properly and, most importantly, contain exact information.
In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know to write a rental verification letter and conclude with some templates to get you started when you need to write rental verification letters.
Why Do Organizations/ Individuals Require Rental Verification Letters?
Understanding the purpose of a verification request helps you understand what is expected of you. This information may be written explicitly in the request. If it isn’t, you can figure this out by understanding where the letter is coming from.
Suppose you receive a rental verification request from a landlord or a property manager about a tenant of yours. In that case, they’re most interested in the tenant’s code of conduct and payment history.
Here are some of the most common reasons why rental verification letters are requested:
- Address Verification: If your tenant is opening a bank account or requesting a loan, the organization must ensure that the information submitted by your tenant is correct. They may reach out to you for confirmation.
- Payment History: A landlord or a rental property manager may contact you to confirm a tenant’s payment history. All they need from you is how frequently the tenant paid their rent and if they remitted their rent as at when due.
- Debt Concerns: This continues from the above point. You should include this information in the verification letter if a tenant has vacated your property and has outstanding dues. This is a delicate issue as it could affect the chances of your tenant getting the apartment.
If this isn’t regular behavior for your tenant and you have an unfulfilled agreement, you could use our discretion and decide whether to include it or not.
- General Behavior: This can be requested by anyone who intends to have any dealings with your tenant. This may not be included in the request letter, but it doesn’t hurt to include it in your response, especially if the tenant is diligent and has great general conduct.
How to Write a Lease Renewal Letter: Samples Included
What to Include in A Rental Verification Letter?
The purpose of the letter determines the kind of information you’re expected to include, but here are some of the information you’re expected to include by default unless instructed otherwise:
Rental Location:
The first thing you should write in your rental verification letter is the property’s physical location. This includes the exact address, name of the property, and any other information that helps identify the property.
Tenant’s Payment History:
Depending on the reason for the verification request, you can decide to exclude this. But if the request comes from a financial institution or a rental manager specifically asking for the information, then it should be included.
The section of the letter should contain due dates, the amount of rent, how often did the tenant pay/delay payment, and any other information concerning the tenant and their payment history.
Lease Start and End Dates:
When did the tenant’s lease start, and when does it end? The letter should include these two dates and must state that these are the dates signed on the lease.
Tenant Duration (for Past Tenants):
If a tenant is no longer in your property, include when they rented and vacated your property. Depending on the recipient of the letter and if the information would be helpful to them or now, you can include the reason they left.
Tenant’s Character Conduct:
This is one of the most important parts of the letter, and its inclusion also depends almost entirely on who it is being sent to. This section of the letter should contain a summary of the tenant’s behavior. Unless requested, you’re not obligated to include any specifics.
Important Tips When Writing a Rental Verification Letter
Before writing rental verification letters, there are things you must have at the back of your mind. They help you prove and confirm the legitimacy of the request and also position your letter as an official letter.
- Confirm who’s making the request. To ensure you do not supply sensitive information to unscrupulous individuals, always verify the legitimacy of the organization requesting the verification. If the request doesn’t come directly from your tenant or they didn’t inform you of the request, always circle back to them for verification.
- Ask your tenant’s opinions. Before writing this letter, reach out to your tenant to find out if there’s anything they want to be included or omitted. Doing this also protects you in the eyes of the law, as some states have laws that prohibit individual data from being shared without their consent.
- Doublecheck the information. All the information included in the letter must be accurate and factual. Double-check all the information, and any error could have dire repercussions.
- Use company letterhead. Nothing spells official as much as a letterheaded paper. This removes doubt from the recipient’s mind and serves as a contact reference as a letterheaded paper contains all your relevant contact information.
Samples to Write Letter to Landlord About Moving Out
Rental Verification Template
(Date) (Name) (Address) (City, State P.O) Dear (Name of recipient), RE: Rental Verification This letter is to inform you that (name of tenant) is a tenant at (apartment information). They have been a tenant since (tenancy start date), and the lease is expected to expire on (tenancy end date). Their monthly rental payment is (rental amount), which is due on (rent due date). (Name of tenant) has been a tenant at our apartment for the last (duration of stay) and has been a model tenant and has caused no problems whatsoever. They often pay their rent when due, and if there’s ever a delay for any reason, it is always communicated beforehand. We wish them success in their dealings with you. Kind Regards, (Your name and organization)
Rental Verification Sample
18 June 2023 Woculus Properties LTD. 123 Park Avenue. Houston, Texas, 123 456 Dear Mr. John, RE: Rental Verification This letter is to inform you that Jane is a tenant at 123 Park Avenue, apt D4. She has been a tenant since the 15th of July 2020, and the lease is expected to expire on the 15th of July 2024 Their monthly rental payment is $4,000, due on the first of every month. Jane has been a tenant at our apartment for the last three years and has been a model tenant and has caused no problems whatsoever. She pays her rent when due, and it is always communicated beforehand if there’s a delay for any reason. We wish her success in their dealings with you. Kind Regards, Simon Hush Manager Woculus Properties LTD.
Conclusion
We have included some samples that can be tailored to help you write your rental agreement letter.
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