What Is a Personal Reference for Renting?
Learn the importance of personal references in renting. Understand their role in your application, how to select suitable contacts, and what insights they offer landlords.
Securing a rental property involves a comprehensive application process. Landlords and property managers require various pieces of information to assess prospective tenants, including financial history, employment verification, and past rental records. Many applications also request personal references, which provide insight into an applicant’s character and reliability.
What is a Personal Reference
A personal reference refers to an individual who can vouch for an applicant’s character, habits, and overall conduct. Unlike professional references or previous landlords, personal references are individuals who know the applicant non-professionally. Their primary purpose is to provide a qualitative assessment of the applicant’s responsibility and general demeanor. This type of reference offers landlords a perspective beyond credit scores or income statements.
Personal references help landlords understand how an applicant might behave as a tenant. They offer insights into tidiness, respect for property, and ability to maintain a stable living environment. While not directly related to financial solvency, these character traits indicate a responsible tenant.
Choosing and Preparing Your References
Selecting appropriate personal references is an important step. Ideal references are individuals who have known you for a reasonable period and can speak positively about your character, responsibility, and reliability. This includes friends, colleagues, mentors, teachers, community leaders, or neighbors who are not family members. These individuals should articulate why you would be a good tenant, focusing on trustworthiness and respect for property.
Avoid asking family members to serve as personal references, as their testimonials can be biased. If you want to keep your current rental situation confidential, avoid using your current landlord as a personal reference. Instead, focus on individuals who can provide an objective, supportive assessment of your personal qualities.
Always ask for permission before providing a reference’s contact information. Explain the reference’s purpose and the types of questions they might be asked. Provide context, such as the property type and contact timeframe. Ensuring your references are prepared and willing to speak on your behalf strengthens your application.
Furnish your references with the landlord’s name and contact information, and confirm their preferred communication method. Supplying accurate contact details, including their full name and relationship to you, is important. This preparation ensures your references are ready to provide a timely, positive recommendation when contacted.
Information a Reference Provides
When contacted, a personal reference provides insights into an applicant’s character and habits. Landlords inquire about reliability, responsibility, and ability to meet obligations. Questions focus on tidiness, respect for others, and mature issue resolution. The goal is to gauge the applicant’s suitability as a tenant from a non-financial perspective.
References may also be asked about an applicant’s communication style and demeanor. For instance, a landlord might inquire if the applicant is considerate of neighbors or maintains their living space well. This qualitative information helps landlords form a complete picture of a prospective tenant beyond credit checks or employment history. Personal reference insights complement other background checks to assess an applicant’s suitability.