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How to Verify Rental History Effectively

By PropsManager Team | Dec 17, 2025

How to Verify Rental History Effectively

The Problem

Bad tenants know that a bad reference kills their chances. So they:

  1. Give you a friend's number who pretends to be the landlord.
  2. The current landlord lies and says they are "great" just to get them out of their property.

The Solution

  1. Call the Previous Landlord: Not the current one, but the one before that. They have nothing to lose and will tell you the truth.
  2. Verify Ownership: Check tax records to see if the name on the application matches the owner of the property they listed.
  3. Ask Specific Questions:
    • "What was the address again?" (A fake landlord might stumble).
    • "Did they get their full deposit back?"
    • "Would you rent to them again?"

Conclusion

Rental history is the best predictor of future behavior. Dig deep.