Applicants past landlord won't give rental verification

Property Manager · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 2 votes

So we require 3 years of verifiable rental history as part of our application process. A current applicant has a previous landlord, on of the top 3 largest property management companies in the US, that will no longer give any level of rental verification. As this PM has thousands of properties we are going to be dealing with this more often. Looking for any input on how you guys worked around this if at all, and if others are experiencing this as well. Thanks!

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Drew SygitBusiness Member

Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes

This Verification of Rent (VOR) issue is becoming more common due to lawsuits and Fair Housing issues:(

We address it thus:

1) If they have high enough credit scores, we do not need VOR.

2) Usually tenants can print out from their tenant portal or get a copy from the office. We then verify it with the landlord that it is legitimate.

3) Ask prospect to supply 6-12 months of bank statements showing rent payments.

None of this covers if they trashed the place or have been a PITA tenant.

NOTE: many of the biggest PMCs are reporting rent payments to credit bureaus, so may show up on credit check.

[email protected]248-209-6824

Logical Property Management4.9459 Reviews

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Marci Stein
Rental Property Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2011 · 956 posts · 510 votes
1y
Previous landlord is just one part of the process. A strong work reference would be good , as well as a nice credit score.
1 Reply
Randy Garner
OP
Property Manager · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 2 votes
1y
@Marci Stein Yea, we run full checks including credit score, collections, past dues, bankruptcy, evictions, criminal records, at least double verified income. We just also really like to have at least 3 years of verified tentative history as well.
1 Reply
Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
1y
You can also have the applicant request their rental history from the PM and ask the PM to send you a copy of it.
2 Reply
Jules Aton
MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
If it is the company's policy I'd find other ways to decide. If a landlord is declining to provide a reference without it being a company policy I would take that as a red flag. This is how I have proceeded in the rare case of a former tenant with the lack of insight to request a reference from me after they left my place trashed.
2 Reply
Drew SygitBusiness Member
Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
1y
This Verification of Rent (VOR) issue is becoming more common due to lawsuits and Fair Housing issues:(
We address it thus:
1) If they have high enough credit scores, we do not need VOR.
2) Usually tenants can print out from their tenant portal or get a copy from the office. We then verify it with the landlord that it is legitimate.
3) Ask prospect to supply 6-12 months of bank statements showing rent payments.
None of this covers if they trashed the place or have been a PITA tenant.
NOTE: many of the biggest PMCs are reporting rent payments to credit bureaus, so may show up on credit check.
[email protected]248-209-6824
Logical Property Management4.9459 Reviews
Website View Page
3 Reply
Carlos Hennings
Lancaster, NY · Member since 2021 · 92 posts · 53 votes
1y
This is becoming more and more common. Many larger property management companies are refusing to provide rental verifications, and even when they do, the information can often be incomplete, inaccurate, or subjective. On top of that, there’s always the risk of an applicant having a friend or family member pose as a prior landlord—something we see more often than you’d think.

Another important thing to remember: rental verifications can be very subjective ("good tenant" to one manager might not mean the same thing to another). Relying on these calls opens you up to inconsistent decision-making, and can even create risks around Fair Housing or discrimination claims.

Instead of relying too much on rental verifications, I'd recommend focusing more on verifiable facts through a complete screening report that includes:

🔹 Credit Report – Reviews overall financial responsibility, payment patterns, and open accounts.

🔹 Judgments & Liens Search – Identifies court judgments or unpaid debts that no longer show up on traditional credit reports.

🔹 Nationwide Eviction Search – Flags any prior evictions that may not have been disclosed or mentioned during a landlord call.

🔹 Nationwide Criminal and Sex Offender Search – Provides a broader view of any criminal background or offenses across multiple states.

🔹 Income Verification Report – Pulls actual deposit data directly from the applicant’s bank account history to confirm real income (much better than chasing pay stubs or letters that could be manipulated).

By leaning more on verified, factual data instead of subjective rental references, you can make safer, more consistent decisions while protecting yourself against claims of unfair screening practices. Always better to rely on what you can document and defend.
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- Nadir M.
  Property Manager · Westminster, CO · Member since 2018 · 486 posts · 110 votes
  1y
  Quote from @Carlos Hennings:
  
  This is becoming more and more common. Many larger property management companies are refusing to provide rental verifications, and even when they do, the information can often be incomplete, inaccurate, or subjective. On top of that, there’s always the risk of an applicant having a friend or family member pose as a prior landlord—something we see more often than you’d think.
  
  Another important thing to remember: rental verifications can be very subjective ("good tenant" to one manager might not mean the same thing to another). Relying on these calls opens you up to inconsistent decision-making, and can even create risks around Fair Housing or discrimination claims.
  
  Instead of relying too much on rental verifications, I'd recommend focusing more on verifiable facts through a complete screening report that includes:
  
  🔹 Credit Report – Reviews overall financial responsibility, payment patterns, and open accounts.
  
  🔹 Judgments & Liens Search – Identifies court judgments or unpaid debts that no longer show up on traditional credit reports.
  
  🔹 Nationwide Eviction Search – Flags any prior evictions that may not have been disclosed or mentioned during a landlord call.
  
  🔹 Nationwide Criminal and Sex Offender Search – Provides a broader view of any criminal background or offenses across multiple states.
  
  🔹 Income Verification Report – Pulls actual deposit data directly from the applicant’s bank account history to confirm real income (much better than chasing pay stubs or letters that could be manipulated).
  
  By leaning more on verified, factual data instead of subjective rental references, you can make safer, more consistent decisions while protecting yourself against claims of unfair screening practices. Always better to rely on what you can document and defend.
  
  Great answer! What software are you using to obtain the Income Verification Report? I see RentPrep might be an option?
  0 Reply
Henry T.
Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
Seems a common issue lately. Ask applicants to contact their PM for a ledger copy of their rental history. Along with the last six months of their utility history.
0 Reply
Mila F.
Member since 2023 · 59 posts · 34 votes
1y
Happens to us as well. In these situations, if everything else checks out, the applicant's approval would be contingent on them paying a double security deposit to mitigate our risks.
0 Reply
Adam BartomeoBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Cape Coral, FL · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y
It's not the tenants fault the PM won't give you info. Be flexible with your standards when times like this present themselves.
[email protected]239-339-3969
Bartomeo Property Management4.7150 Reviews
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0 Reply
James McGovern
Flipper/Rehabber · Bloomfield CT · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 408 votes
1y
What is the incentive for prior landlords to provide you with information?
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