A landlord reference letter, whether you're asking or writing
Two people usually land on this page at the same time: the tenant who's been asked for a reference from a previous landlord, and the landlord who's been asked to write one. The free sample letter below works for both. Copy it, adapt the bracketed parts, and read the notes on what a good reference covers, and how to tell a genuine one from a coached one.
Whether you'd call it a landlord reference letter, a letter of recommendation, a referral letter or a landlord recommendation, it means the same thing: a short letter from a previous landlord saying how the tenancy went.
Last reviewed July 2026.
Free template
The sample letter
Copy this, replace the parts in [square brackets], and keep it to one page. A reference doesn't need to be long. It needs to be specific.
[Landlord's name] [Landlord's address] [Landlord's phone number] [Landlord's email address] [Date] To whom it may concern, I am writing to confirm that [tenant's full name] rented the property at [property address] from me, from [tenancy start date] to [tenancy end date]. The rent was €[amount] per month, and it was paid in full and on time throughout the tenancy. [Tenant's first name] kept the property in good condition and told me promptly when anything needed attention. Proper notice was given before the move, and the deposit was returned in full. I would rent to [tenant's first name] again, and I am happy to recommend them as a tenant. If you'd like to confirm any of the above, you can reach me on the details at the top of this letter. Yours sincerely, [Signature] [Landlord's name]
Keep it to one page. If the tenancy was short or uneventful, the second paragraph can shrink to a single line: the rent was paid on time and the property was left in good order. Specific facts carry the weight, not adjectives.
Leave the referee's contact details in. A reference that can be checked is worth more than one that can't, and most landlords will check.
This sample letter is general information for a standard Irish letting, not legal advice. Write only what you know first-hand and can stand over.
A reference is only as good as the check behind it. More on that below.
For tenants: how to ask
Most landlords and agents in Ireland will ask for references before offering a tenancy. In Threshold's survey of renters across the island (January 2026), 57% had provided a landlord reference and 57% a work reference, so being ready with both puts you ahead of most applicants.
Ask at the right time
Ask once you've given notice, or when you know you're moving. A landlord is most willing to write while the tenancy is ending well, and a reference written at the end, after the final inspection, carries the most weight.
Make it easy to say yes
Say exactly what you need: confirmation of your tenancy dates, that the rent was paid, and how the property was kept. You can point them at the sample letter above. The easier you make it, the faster it arrives.
If there's no previous landlord
First-time renters usually substitute a work reference, and some landlords will accept a personal reference alongside it. Say so upfront rather than offering a letter from someone pretending to be a landlord. A coached reference is easier to spot than you'd think, and it poisons the rest of an otherwise good application.
If your landlord says no
There's no legal obligation on a landlord to write a reference, so some won't. If that happens, ask for something factual instead: a rent payment statement, or a short written confirmation of your tenancy dates. Facts on paper are better than nothing, and a new landlord can work with them.
For landlords: how to write one
Writing a reference for a good tenant takes ten minutes and costs you nothing. A few rules keep it useful to the next landlord, and safe for you.
Stick to what you know
Tenancy dates, the rent, whether it was paid on time, how the property was kept, whether proper notice was given. Facts you saw first-hand and can stand over. If you didn't see it, leave it out.
Keep it short
Five or six sentences is plenty. The sample above is the right length: a page of specifics, not a page of praise.
Be honest, both ways
A glowing letter for a difficult tenancy passes your problem to the next landlord. An unfair one can come back on you. Write what you'd be comfortable repeating, and what the record would support.
Mind the tenant's data
The letter describes an identifiable person, so treat it as their personal data. Write it because the tenant asked you to, and send it to the tenant, or to the new landlord with the tenant's knowledge, rather than circulating it more widely.
Judge the tenancy, not the person
Nothing in a reference should touch the ten Equal Status Acts grounds: gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or ethnic origin, membership of the Traveller community, or receipt of housing assistance such as HAP. The letter is about how the tenancy went, never about who the tenant is.
If you can't write a good one
You don't have to write a reference at all, and a refusal is its own answer. If you'd rather help without endorsing, a short factual confirmation of the tenancy dates and the rent is a fair middle ground.
A reference is one check among several. The full list, including the grounds you must never use, is in our tenant vetting checklist.
The part that matters
A reference you can check beats a reference you can't
Irish landlords already ask for references; that isn't the gap. The gap is verification. Most reference letters are genuine, written by decent landlords doing a favour for a decent tenant. But a letter is easy to write and hard to verify at a glance, and paperwork can look fine and still not add up. The letter that isn't genuine tends to arrive looking exactly like the one that is.
A genuine reference usually has:
- Specifics: exact dates, a real address, a rent figure, details only the landlord would know.
- A referee you can reach, on a number or email you found yourself, who confirms what the letter says.
- A story that matches the rest of the application: the dates line up with the rental history, and the rent lines up with the area.
Worth a second look:
- Two references from different landlords in near-identical phrasing.
- Dates that don't line up with the rental history, or a gap the letter doesn't explain.
- A referee who can't be reached, or who confirms the letter but can't confirm the details in it.
- Vague praise with no specifics: "great tenant, highly recommended" and nothing else.
This is one of the six checks RightTenantry runs on every application. Reference verification reads the references against everything else: the dates against the rental history, the phrasing across documents, the details against the story, and it surfaces what doesn't line up, with the reasoning shown. It doesn't contact referees; that part stays with you. It means your verification calls start where the doubt already is.
Common questions
What is a landlord reference letter?
A landlord reference letter is a short letter from a previous landlord confirming how a tenancy went: the dates, whether the rent was paid on time, and how the property was kept. Landlords and agents in Ireland commonly ask for one before offering a tenancy, alongside an employer reference. It's also called a landlord recommendation or a letter of referral.
What should a landlord reference letter include?
The tenant's name, the property address and the tenancy dates. The rent, and whether it was paid on time. How the property was kept, and whether proper notice was given. A clear closing statement, usually whether the landlord would rent to the tenant again. And the writer's contact details, so the reference can be verified.
How do I ask my landlord for a reference?
Ask once you've given notice or know you're moving, and be specific about what you need: your tenancy dates, your payment record and how you kept the property. Offering a template, like the sample on this page, makes it easy to say yes. Ask for it in writing, and keep a copy for future applications.
Does a landlord have to give a reference in Ireland?
No. There's no legal obligation on a landlord to write a reference, and some won't as a matter of policy. If that happens, ask for a factual alternative instead, such as a rent payment statement or written confirmation of your tenancy dates, which most landlords will provide.
Can I write the letter myself for my landlord to sign?
It happens, and many landlords will ask you to draft it. That's fine if your landlord reads it, checks every detail and stands over it as their own. What's not fine is a letter the landlord never saw or wouldn't confirm. Verification calls are routine, and a coached letter tends to unravel in one phone call.
How can I tell if a tenant's reference is genuine?
Verify it. Find the referee's contact details independently, call them, and ask for specifics: the dates, the rent, the address. Cross-check the letter against the rest of the application for matching dates and consistent details. RightTenantry's analysis does this cross-check automatically and flags what doesn't line up, so you know where to look first.
"The references checked out" should mean something
Most references are genuine. The costly ones are the ones that only look it. RightTenantry analyses every application: the income against the job, the references against each other and the rental history, the dates against the story, and it ranks your shortlist fairly, never on a protected ground. So "checked out" means actually checked.
This is general information for Irish landlords, not legal or financial advice. The rules change, so check the current position with the RTB before you act.