Landlord reference letter template 2026. Only what your records show, signed and dated.

Only what your own records show, and it must be true: when the tenancy ran, the rent and whether it was paid on time, paid late or is still owed, the condition of the home at the end, the deposit outcome and any notices served. Under the Defamation Act 2013 it is a defence to show that a statement is substantially true (section 2). If you could not show a statement from your rent ledger or inspection notes, leave it out.

You can decline, and you do not have to give a reason. Most landlords give one anyway: a tenant who cannot get a reference struggles to move on, and the system works only because landlords answer each other. If you would rather not comment, a factual confirmation of the tenancy dates, the property and the rent is the safe middle course.

Only if it is untrue, or careless enough to mislead. A statement is not defamatory unless it causes or is likely to cause serious harm to the tenant’s reputation (Defamation Act 2013 s.1), and substantial truth is a defence (s.2), so a line such as “On 1 September, £1,150 of rent was unpaid” is safe if your ledger shows it. The greater risk is a falsely glowing reference written to move a tenant on. Say what the records show, neutrally.

Assume so. A reference is the tenant’s personal data, and UK GDPR Article 15 gives them the right to see the personal data you hold about them. The answer is due within one month of the request, which can be extended by two further months for complex or numerous requests (Article 12A). The Data Protection Act 2018 exempts references given in confidence for employment, education, volunteering, an office or a service, but a tenancy is not on that list.

Yes. A reference passes the tenant’s personal data to someone else, and the tenant’s own request or agreement is the clearest reason to share it. The form asks you to confirm that the tenant asked for the reference or agreed to it, and the letter prints the date. Answer only what the request asks about the tenancy; the tenant’s job, health or family are not part of it.

Children, benefits, health, nationality or immigration status, or anything else the Equality Act 2010 protects. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord must not turn people away because a child would live with or visit them, or because they claim benefits (Renters’ Rights Act 2025 ss.33 and 34), and a reference is where such a line would travel. The form has no field for any of them.

The classic fake is a “previous landlord” who is really the applicant’s friend reading from a script. Contact the landlord through details you find yourself, such as the owner on the Land Registry title or a letting agent’s own number, not only the number the applicant gives; ask for facts a real landlord knows at once, such as the exact dates, the rent and whether the deposit came back in full; and check they can describe the home. A reference ordered through LetCompliance checks the previous landlord as part of the process.

Yes, where the agent managed the tenancy and holds the records. The form has an option for an agent acting for a named landlord: the letter then says so and is signed by the agent. The same rules apply: facts from the records, and nothing that cannot be shown.