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What is a Rental Reference Letter?
A rental reference letter is a formal document issued by a landlord or property manager that confirms a tenant’s rental history, including their payment behaviour, care of the property, and overall conduct during the tenancy.
In Australia, rental reference letters are commonly requested by real estate agents, landlords, and property managers when reviewing rental applications, as they provide valuable insight into a tenant’s reliability and suitability for a new tenancy. It is also common to request a personal rental reference letter by state bodies and immigration authorities when applying for visa documents or social benefits.
This letter could be used for various types of tenancies in Australia, including commercial and residential lease agreements, short-term and long-term rental contracts, vacation rental agreements etc.
Who should use this rental reference letter template?
The tenant reference letter is a popular document in Australia and may be helpful for:
- property owners who lease out a wide range of residential properties across Australia;
- investors who provide various types of commercial and retail properties into the lease;
- property managers and real estate agencies who manage rental properties on behalf of owners;
- tenants who require a professional letter template for a formal recommendation.
What’s included in this rental reference letter template?
In Australia there is no state or territory legislation that prescribes the format or content for a rental reference template letter. While landlords and property managers can include any information they consider appropriate, a solid rental reference letter example must contain:
Tenant Details
A rental letter of reference must include the full name of the tenant in whose name this letter is issued. Where multiple tenants occupy the same property, for example, under the roommate agreement, this letter should be prepared for each tenant separately.
At the tenant’s separate request, the landlord or property manager could also include the other tenant’s identification details – e.g., ID number, driving licence or date of birth. This could be required when the rental reference letter is submitted to state authorities or immigration bodies in Australia.
Lease Details
The text of the letter shall set out additional information about the tenancy. In this regard the letter’s sender shall state:
- the full address of the rented property;
- the commencement date of the lease;
- if the tenant keeps living in the rented property or the rent has ended;
- the rental amount, stated in Australian dollars; and
- frequency of rental payments (for example, every year or every month).
Use of Property
The main part of every template for rental reference letter is to include a description of how the tenant has used and maintained the rented property. Therefore, the sender of this letter should answer the following questions:
- whether the property has been kept in clean condition?
- whether the tenant has ever received a late rent notice;
- whether the tenant has ever been served with an eviction notice;
- whether the tenant has ever made any unreasonable requests during the rental period;
- whether the tenant has ever received complaints from neighbours;
- whether the landlord would recommend the tenant.
Sender Information
A comprehensive example of rental reference letter should also set out identification details of the sender, including:
- the full legal name;
- mailing address;
- contact email and phone number.
Once the letter is ready, the sender must sign and date it.
How to customise a rental reference letter at FasterDraft?
To customise your personal rental reference letter, follow a few easy steps below:
- Click the “Create Document” button.
- Answer simple questions in the form.
- Select a template’s format – PDF or Word document.
- E-sign the document.
- Make a payment.
Your document is ready for the instant download and usage.
This article is reviewed by Daria Turanska, a lawyer with 15 years’ contract drafting experience. Fact-checked by Sarah Collins.