Check LL references!!!!!

PITA finally left. She has been gone a little over a week and has been hounding me for her SD. We have 30 days to return it. She keeps calling and texting wanting to know where it is because she “ owes it to her new LL for rent”. Poor sucker new LL.... they never called me for a reference. I won’t lie to a fellow LL. Her previous LL obviously lied to me and I’m not going to do the same and give her a free pass. Now new LL is waiting on the promise of a SD that I don’t even have to send for a few weeks. I did send it early and I was incredibly fair. I’m sure she will freak out when she doesn’t get 100 percent back. I did not deduct anything I couldn’t. Once I have confirmation from PO it was delivered I can block her number. If new LL would have called me I would have told him about the 5 NTQs she received in less than a year.

--71.10.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by melinda [MD]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 3:43 PM
Message:

New landlord is in for a big surprise when new tenant does not get a full deposit. Always be honest when called for a reference. It's the least we can do. I certainly appreciate hearing the truth from a current landlord. --24.233.xxx.xx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Johnny B. [MA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 4:09 PM
Message:

I hardly ever get calls from other landlords for reference checks.... it’s weird. --24.147.xx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by DJ [VA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 4:27 PM
Message:

I also have hardly ever been contacted. And a couple times, the previous LL didn't reply to my inquiry. Go figure!

I agree that I will tell the truthful facts if one were to call. I think we should try to help each other out. --68.10.xxx.x

Check LL references!!!!! (by JKJ [MA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 5:09 PM
Message:

I think the reason a LL might not tell new a LL negative things about a tenant is there worried about deformation of character.........I’ve heard many times from guys I work with that they only will confirm a person worked for them from such-in-such date to such-in-such date and what there duties/position were while they were there. Their thought is they don’t want to deal with defending themselves if someone they gave a negative reference to goes after them for deformation of character. They believe the new employer will get “the hint” by the fact they only confirm they worked there. I would imagine this school of thought applies to some LL’s. These are not my views, it’s just a common thing I have heard over the years. --71.248.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by RentsDue [MA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 5:48 PM
Message:

As long as the information you provide is fact, not opinion, I’m not worried about character defamation claims. If someone got served for not paying rent that is fact and relative. If asked I will tell- and that is usually the only question they ask. --71.10.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by JKJ [MA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 6:05 PM
Message:

LOL I just realized my phone autocorrected defamation’to deformation. --71.248.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by GKARL [PA]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 6:32 PM
Message:

I've been asked for a reference twice. Both times were for rooming house tenants. Never for apartment tenants. On the flip side, I always check the references. --209.122.xx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by BRAD 20,000 [IN]) Posted on: Mar 22, 2019 11:46 PM
Message:

Rents,

You are so right! We have 50 move outs per year and probably only 5 LLs calling each year.

JKJ,

Yes, some are deformed.

BRAD --73.102.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Steve [MA]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 4:38 AM
Message:

In over 40 years of LLing, I only remember a handful of times I had a LL call for referral on tenant. I can't recall having any referrals call in at least 10 years. I imagine it has something to do with how easy it can be done via the internet & use of screening companies. --96.237.xx.xx

Check LL references!!!!! (by WMH [NC]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 5:27 AM
Message:

Steve/MA, that's it. I don't check LL references as a rule.

If I rent to younger tenants (right out of college or first rental - a target market) they don't have them. If I rent to older tenants (retired - target market) they are down-sizing from a home they owned. If I am renting to teachers, nurses or Coast Guard (all target markets) they are almost pre-screened through their employment. I still pull credit, criminal and eviction history because I can.

Usually people are screened out for income, criminal, drugs or drama, too many pets or non-neutered animals. All of those probably have lousy LL references anyway.

I don't often have regular so-called middle-aged people who would have rental history rent from me. Can't think of any right now. Or in recent history. My places are generally too small for them. --50.82.xxx.xx

Check LL references!!!!! (by cjl [NY]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 6:36 AM
Message:

I've had a few (maybe 3 or 4?) actually contact me for references. I know 2 of them were for the same tenants (two different places and different years).

Of course, they are not the ones that really needed to "worry" about why they were no longer renting from me so it wouldn't have really mattered.

I call depending on the circumstances of the rental applicant. Some are "new" (moving out of parents house and/or school), some are downsizing/sold their homes for one reason or another. The other ones that are coming from rental sources I do validate to ensure that they are renting from the person they say they are (if they say "John Jones owns it and that's who I pay my rent to, etc" but it comes up Peter Smith then I definitely reach out.

Unfortunately, many current or previous landlords do lie (or don't tell the entire truth) so I won't really rely on the most recent landlord's answers. I've had that bite me in the past.

I LOVE to call the ones that I know though because they won't lie to me and tell you things that you really don't ask but want the dirt on (if it happens). Funny though, the one I called for a reference on I found out at lease signing that he called them and said "hey - I found out that you may be looking for a place to live - I have one available if you want!" haha.

I thought it was funny - but it also made me think "well, this is one that apparently doesn't change their phone numbers every few "days" since it's been a few years since they rented to them." --69.201.xx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Jo [CT]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 10:05 AM
Message:

I have had several through the years, but they are always on my good tenants. The responsible ones don't have a problem with my referral and know they will get a good one.

The ones that weren't so good, I never a call from anyone. I think they just don't put down my number because they know the referral woundn't be stellar.

They can always tell the new LL that this is their first time renting, so no previous LL.

--32.215.xxx.xx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Salernitana [CA]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 1:15 PM
Message:

Yay, I'm glad that your PITA is out of your place. With Spring here, I hope that you find a good tenant soon.

I loved hearing from a prospective property manager who phoned me when my ex-deadbeat tenants applied for a new swanky apartment. The last question that the manager asked was, "Would you rent to them again?" and she answered her own question before I could with, "No." I understand about the concern about a defamation lawsuit, but I had records. Plus, the tenants probably didn't have money, time, or effort to file a lawsuit. --67.170.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Steve [MA]) Posted on: Mar 23, 2019 2:42 PM
Message:

Years ago I had a tenant skip out owing me about $2,600.00 between unpaid rent & damages. The bread winner got incarcerated & there wasn't anyway she could pay on her own. She & her 2 kids ended up in shelter & staying with friends. A year or so after she left I got a call from her offering to pay me in full if I would write a letter stating that the debt had been satisfied. I agreed to do it provided she paid me in cash. Turns out she applied for a subsidized apartment in the other end of the state which was managed by someone I knew from the state wide LL group. Even though she didn't list me as either a previous LL or a creditor, my info popped up when they did a credit & eviction check. The only way they would even consider her was if she got a letter from me. --96.237.xx.xx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Wilma [PA]) Posted on: Mar 25, 2019 12:07 PM
Message:

I've only had one landlord ever call, and he only heard what he wanted to hear, that they paid on time. Completely ignored my answer to the quality of performance of yard work question (we had to take that over and charge them). Never asked about their cooperativeness (which was crappy). Oh well.

I'm still willing to be honest, as one landlord was completely honest with me, despite being stuck with professional squatters who had finally run out of appeals. I still think of her with gratefulness. --71.175.xxx.xxx

Check LL references!!!!! (by Steve [MA]) Posted on: Mar 25, 2019 12:23 PM
Message:

This afternoon I got my first referral call in at least the last 10 years. Interesting enough in their message on my answering machine along with my tenant they gave the name of someone who doesn't live there. It should make for an interesting conversation when I talk with them Tuesday. --96.237.xx.xx

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