A proof of rent letter, sometimes called a rent verification or landlord reference letter, confirms that a person rents from you and how they have paid. It is asked for by lenders, by other landlords, by benefit agencies and by tenants applying elsewhere. It is a short document with one rule: everything in it should be a fact you can show from the ledger, and nothing in it should be an opinion you would not want to defend.
What to include
Your name and contact details, the property address, the tenant's name, the tenancy start date and whether it is current, the rent amount and frequency, and the payment record over a stated period. Date the letter and sign it. Keeping it to those items makes it useful to the recipient and safe for you, because every line is traceable to the tenancy record.
State the payment record as a fact, not a verdict
Write the number of payments due and the number received on time in the period, or attach a statement. Do not write that a tenant is good, reliable or difficult. A factual record is more useful to the recipient and cannot be characterised as a reference that harmed somebody. If arrears occurred, say when and whether they were cleared; a letter that omits them is one you may be asked about.
The fair housing reason to stay factual
A landlord's characterisation of a tenant can carry assumptions about them, and federal fair housing law reaches conduct that makes housing unavailable on protected grounds. A letter confined to dates and amounts cannot be read that way. It is also the version you would want to receive if you were the one reading it about a prospective tenant.
Ask the tenant before you send it
Confirm with the tenant that you may release the information and to whom. Some of what a verification contains is sensitive, and a request arriving by email from an unfamiliar address is not proof the tenant asked for it. A short written confirmation from the tenant protects both of you and takes a minute.
Questions people ask about proof of rent letter
Am I obliged to provide a proof of rent letter?
Generally no, unless a programme you participate in requires it. Most landlords provide one because the tenant needs it and it costs nothing.
Should I mention arrears?
State what happened factually if it falls in the period covered. Omitting it makes the letter unreliable and you may be asked about it later.
Can I charge for one?
It is generally poor practice and may be restricted in some places. It takes minutes and the goodwill is worth more than a fee.