What Questions to Ask a Potential Tenant’s References?

Getting high-quality tenants into your rental property is crucial in order to maintain your rental income, and one of the most effective tools landlords use is the tenant reference check. Hence, knowing the right questions to ask tenants’ references saves you thousands of dollars and countless headaches down the road. As someone who’s managed rental properties in Oklahoma City for over 20 years, I’ve learned that tenant references reveal how renters behave beyond the rental application form, showing you patterns that credit scores and pay stubs simply can’t capture.

Think of reference checks as your insurance policy against bad tenants. That’s why conducting thorough tenant screening with strategic reference questions is non-negotiable. In this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly which questions to ask previous landlords, employers, and personal references to protect your investment and find reliable, long-term tenants for your rental property.

Why Do Landlords Check Tenant References?

Here’s something that might surprise you: property owners report an average of $4.2 million in bad debt write-offs over 12 months, with approximately 25% attributed to rental application fraud. This is why smart landlords verify what’s on those rental applications through a thorough tenant reference check.

Typical landlord questions to ask tenant references reveal patterns like missed payments, short stays, noise issues, or eviction history. Think about it; anyone can fabricate information on paper. A prospective tenant may claim they’ve never missed rent, but their previous landlord tells a different story. A tenant reference check helps you verify rental history, payment behavior, and prior lease compliance. This way, you reduce risk immediately because it confirms whether the applicant has protected past properties, paid on time, and followed community rules. These insights protect your cash flow and prevent avoidable turnover by uncovering warning signs of a bad tenant early.

Who are Acceptable Tenant References for Your Rental Property?

Verifying information from a prospective tenant’s references is a significant step in the tenant screening process. But it is also crucial that the tenant puts in acceptable references in their rental application. But who exactly do you call? You want people who’ve actually dealt with your applicant in situations that mirror the landlord-tenant relationship. Let me break down who you should be calling and why their perspective matters for your rental property screening.

1. Previous Landlords

The best way to verify a prospective tenant’s information is through their previous landlords. They are the most reliable source for rental verification because they’ve lived through exactly what you’re about to experience. My best advice is to call the landlords from two properties back, not the current one. Why? The current landlord might sugarcoat things just to get rid of a problematic tenant. Former landlords will give you the unfiltered truth about late or unpaid rent, property damage, and lease violations.

2. Employers

How can you make sure that the applicant can pay your rent on time? Current employers provide you with critical insight into financial stability and professional character. When you call an employer, you’re verifying income (renters should earn at least three times the monthly rent), but you’re also getting to know their work ethic and reliability. A stable employment history translates to responsible tenancy.

3. Personal References

I will be completely honest with you, personal references like friends and family can raise questions about potential bias, but they’re not worthless. They are the ones who know the tenants the best and can tell you details about the tenants’ overall personality, lifestyle, and other social details. I use personal references as a supplementary confirmation, rather than the primary verification.

What Questions to Ask References for Tenants?

Knowing what questions to ask tenant references​ can land you a dream tenant or a living nightmare. Before ringing the references, you must prepare a list of questions to ask the references. I’ve refined these questions to ask references for tenants over the years of property management:

If You Are Calling Previous Landlords

1. Can you confirm the tenancy dates and the monthly rent amount?

This verifies what’s on the application. If the dates don’t match up, that’s your first red flag. Their past duration of tenancy shows how long they have lived in a particular property.

2. Did they pay rent on time and in full every month?

This is non-negotiable information. Don’t just accept “mostly” as an answer; ask for specifics. Understanding their payment patterns tells you whether you’ll be chasing rent every month.

3. How did they maintain the property? Were there damages?

Property damage costs you money and time. You need to know if they kept the place clean, reported maintenance issues promptly, or let problems fester. Ask about the condition when they moved out and whether the security deposit covered everything.

4. Would you rent to this tenant again?

If the ex-landlord re-willing to rent out to the tenant again, it is clear that they are a good tenant, but if they show any signs of hesitation, you can get the idea that there were some issues in the past with the tenant. A quick “absolutely” is what you want.

5. Why did they leave?

Knowing the reason why they left is very important. If they left for job transfers, college transfers, or other legit reasons, you would have nothing to worry about. But you can sideline their application if they were evicted from the previous property due to disputes or if they ended the lease agreement early.

6. Were there any noise complaints or issues with neighbors?

Community harmony matters. A tenant who disturbs neighbors creates headaches for everyone involved, an indicator of a bad tenant.

7. Did the tenant have any pets?

This helps you determine if you can allow pets in your rental property. You can verify if there were any issues related to pet ownership, such as property damage or neighbor complaints.

8. How did they communicate with you?

Having an excellent communicative tenant is a big plus. If the tenant is communicative about minor problems, they can be handled early, which helps avoid significant property damage.

If You Are Calling an Employer

1. Can you confirm their employment dates and position?

Verify what’s on the application. I’ve encountered applicants who exaggerated job titles or stretched employment dates to appear more stable.

2. What is their current salary or hourly wage?

You need to confirm they meet your income requirements, which means that they need to meet the rent-to-income ratio. Most landlords require tenants to earn three times the monthly rent. Don’t rely solely on pay stubs; verify directly with the employer.

3. Are they permanent or temporary(contracted) employees?

Job security matters. Full-time employees with benefits show stability. Contract workers might face income gaps.

4. What is the tenant’s behavior at work? Do you like to work with them?

By asking this question, you can learn about the tenant’s behavior, how he treats his co-workers, and his professional attitude. Asking how they like working with the tenant can tell you about their friendly behavior.

If You Are Calling Friends/ Family

1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?

Establish the relationship context. A coworker who’s known them for six months carries less weight than a longtime friend who’s actually visited their home.

2. Can you describe the tenant’s overall character?

No one knows a person better than a friend or family member. So, asking them about the tenant’s overall character is the best idea. They can give you details that explain what kind of a person the tenant is.

3. Have you ever visited their current living situation? How would you describe it?

This gives insight into cleanliness and housekeeping habits so that you can avoid paying for damages beyond normal wear and tear. If their friend hesitates or hasn’t been to their place, that tells you something, too.

4. What does the tenant do in their leisure time?

Knowing about a person’s hobby helps you to paint a picture of their lifestyle and nature. It helps you know about the person’s likes and dislikes.

5. Does the tenant have a habit of smoking/drinking?

This is especially important if your property has a no-smoking policy or if you want to ensure a quiet, responsible living environment.

Tenant Reference Check Legal Guidelines

A tenant reference check must follow federal fair housing laws and screening standards. You must apply the same process to every applicant because consistent criteria prevent discrimination claims under the Fair Housing Act. You collect only rental-performance data like payment history, lease compliance, and property care. You avoid medical, familial, or protected-class details because those categories fall outside legitimate screening factors.

You need to understand the state-specific laws as they differ from one state to another. For instance, Oklahoma’s landlord-tenant laws require accurate record-keeping and truthful communication during screening. You document each call, store notes securely, and base decisions on verifiable rental behavior. When using landlord questions to ask tenant references, you limit data collection to objective rental facts.

Questions Not to Ask

I’ve seen well-meaning landlords face discrimination claims simply because they asked the wrong questions to a potential tenant’s references. Some of the illegal questions to ask tenants or their references are:

Questions about familial status:

• Does the applicant have children?
• Are they planning to start a family?
• How many kids live with them?

Questions about disability:

• Do they have any disabilities?
• Will they need any accommodations?
• Are they physically able to maintain the property?

Questions about religion, race, or national origin:

• What church do they attend?
• Where are they originally from?
• What’s their ethnic background?

Questions about marital status or gender identity:

• Are they married or single?
• Do they have a spouse?
• What’s their sexual orientation?

Red flags to Listen for in Tenant Reference Calls

Not all tenants are perfect; some may be less problematic, and some may be more. Thus, carefully listening for any red flags and problem signs during the reference call can save you from making bad decisions that hurt your investment. Some of the warning signs to look for are:

1. Vague or hesitant answers:

If the reference is unwilling to give you a direct answer or they provide you with vague, incomplete answers, then it could indicate they are not being completely honest with you.

2. History of Late Payment

One late payment might be understandable, but repeated delays or partial payments are major red flags. Late rent creates cashflow problems and administrative headaches you don’t need.

3. Property Damage History

Tenants who don’t maintain properties cost you money in turnover expenses and lost rental income during repairs. Understand why the damages occurred and whether the security deposit could cover them.

Partner with OKC Home Realty Services for Professional Tenant Screening

Asking the right questions of prospective tenants’ references can be an effective tool to screen tenants. It helps you verify their rental history, payment behavior, and lease compliance before approving an applicant. You can confirm reliability, detect red flags, and avoid renters with eviction issues, property damage, or rule violations.

However, conducting a thorough tenant reference check takes time, experience, and frankly, a lot of patience. Between verifying employment, calling previous landlords, and knowing exactly what questions to ask references for tenants​ while staying legally compliant, the process can easily consume hours of your week. And one mistake? It could cost you thousands in lost rent, property damage, or legal fees.
That’s exactly when OKC Home Realty Services helps. We handle the entire tenant screening process for Oklahoma City landlords who want professional results without the hassle. Our team conducts comprehensive tenant reference checks, verifies employment and rental history, runs background checks, and filters out problematic applicants before they ever reach your property.

Ready to protect your investment with reliable tenants? Contact OKC Home Realty Services today and let us handle your tenant screening professionally.