Along with the employment reference check, landlords should ensure to complete a reference check from the prospective tenants current and previous landlords. This step is crucial as it will give landlords insight on the type of tenant the applicant was from a direct source.
The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) developed the Form 410, also known as the “Rental Application – Residential’, for tenants and Realtors to use when submitting an Agreement to Lease.
NOTE, Form 410 is not an agreement, rather a form detailing general information about the applicant. It is a common practice for landlords to request for the rental application. Among other important information, Form 410 will outline the prospective tenants current and previous landlord information – the address, length of tenancy, the landlord’s name and contact information.
PRO TIP: We recommend working with a licensed real estate agent to acquire a qualified tenant as they have the tools to verify if the landlords listed on the application are in fact the owners of the property.
A credit check tells you whether a tenant pays their debts. A reference check tells you whether they pay their rent – and everything else a credit score won’t reveal. How they treated the property, how they communicated, whether they created problems for neighbours, whether the previous landlord would rent to them again.
In Ontario’s rental market, where evicting a problem tenant can take six to twelve months through the LTB, the reference check is the single most cost-effective risk management tool available to a landlord. Thirty minutes on the phone with a previous landlord is worth more than any clause you’ll ever put in a lease.
This guide gives you the exact questions to ask, the red flags to listen for, what Ontario’s privacy laws permit and prohibit, and a copy-paste template you can use on your next call.
Rather have a professional handle tenant screening end to end? Our tenant screening and selection service conducts thorough reference checks, credit checks, employment verification, and identity confirmation – so you start every tenancy with confidence.
Who Should You Call – and Who Not To
Call the Previous Landlord – Not the Current One
The most valuable reference is always the previous landlord, not the current one. A current landlord who is trying to get rid of a problem tenant has every incentive to give a glowing reference. A previous landlord has nothing to gain from protecting a former tenant who caused them trouble.
If the applicant only provides a current landlord reference, ask specifically for the landlord before that. A reluctance to provide one is itself useful information.
Verify You’re Actually Talking to the Landlord
Tenant fraud is more common than most landlords expect – and a frequent form involves listing a friend or family member as the “previous landlord.” Before the call, do a basic verification:
- Search the address on the Ontario Land Registry (available through Teranet) or a property search tool to confirm the listed owner’s name
- Cross-reference the phone number provided with the address online
- If the number doesn’t match publicly available records, ask the applicant to explain the discrepancy
It takes less than five minutes and eliminates one of the most common forms of tenant application fraud. For a broader look at what landlords should be checking beyond the reference call when reviewing a rental application, that post covers the full screening checklist.
Employment References – Handle Differently
Employment reference calls are a different conversation with a different purpose. An employer will speak to reliability, income, and character – but not to rental behaviour. The questions, tone, and red flags are different enough that we’ve covered them separately. For the specific questions to ask during an employment reference call as part of your tenant screening process, that guide covers the full employment verification call.
The 15 Questions to Ask a Previous Landlord
Ask these in order. The early questions establish rapport and confirm basic facts; the later questions are where the most revealing answers come out.
- Can you confirm the applicant rented from you at [address] from [date] to [date]? Confirms the tenancy is real and the dates match what the applicant provided. Discrepancies here are an immediate flag.
- What was the monthly rent? Cross-reference against what the applicant told you. Significant differences in reported rent can indicate fabrication.
- Did they pay rent on time, consistently? Don’t accept “generally, yes” – ask for specifics. How many times were they late? Did they ever require an N4 notice? Did they consistently pay on the 1st?
- Did you ever have to serve them any formal notices during the tenancy? This surfaces N4s, N5s, or any LTB involvement without you having to ask directly about eviction.
- How did they maintain the unit? You’re listening for specifics – cleanliness, damage beyond normal wear and tear, pest issues, hoarding tendencies. Vague positives (“it was fine”) tell you less than you need.
- Did you conduct move-in and move-out inspections? How did the unit compare? A landlord who conducted proper inspections can give you a factual answer. If they didn’t, that tells you something about how the tenancy was managed – and any answer they give is less reliable.
- Were there any complaints from neighbours or other tenants about this person? Noise, aggressive behaviour, smoking in common areas, parking disputes – these issues follow tenants from property to property.
- Did they have any unauthorized occupants or pets? Lease violations that weren’t caught often repeat. If the tenant had undisclosed pets or overcrowding issues, that’s a pattern worth knowing.
- Were there any maintenance or damage issues you had to address? Listen for whether the tenant reported issues promptly (a good sign) or whether damage was discovered only at move-out (a bad sign).
- Did they give proper notice before vacating? Skipping notice requirements or abandoning the unit without communication indicates disregard for obligations – which tends to extend to rent payment and property care.
- Did you have any issues with them accessing the unit for repairs or inspections? Tenants who refuse entry or are consistently uncooperative create ongoing management headaches and can complicate your ability to maintain the property.
- How did they communicate when issues came up – were they reasonable and respectful? Difficult communication styles don’t improve between landlords. A tenant who was combative, threatening, or unreasonable with a previous landlord will likely be the same with you.
- Did the tenancy end the way you expected – or were there any disputes? This is an open-ended question that surfaces anything you didn’t catch with the specific questions. LTB applications, damage disputes, and deposit disagreements often come out here.
- Would you rent to this person again? This is the single most important question on the list. Listen carefully – not just to what they say, but to the hesitation, the qualifications, and the tone. A flat “yes, absolutely” is different from “I mean… they weren’t the worst tenant I’ve had.”
- Is there anything else you think I should know as someone considering renting to them? Always ask this. It’s an open invitation for anything they wanted to say but didn’t know how to raise. Some of the most valuable information in a reference call comes in response to this question.
For a more comprehensive look at the full range of factors to weigh when evaluating a rental application – beyond just the reference call – that post covers how to weigh all the inputs together before making a decision.
5 Red Flags to Listen For During the Call
The answers matter – but so does how the reference gives them. These patterns consistently signal a problematic tenancy:
1. Unusual vagueness about specifics. If a previous landlord can’t recall whether rent was paid on time, whether there was damage, or what the unit looked like at move-out, that vagueness is often deliberate. Landlords who had no issues with a tenant can usually describe the tenancy clearly.
2. Long pauses before answering key questions. Particularly before questions 14 and 15. A genuine positive reference comes easily. Pauses often mean the reference is deciding how much to say – or whether to say it at all.
3. Technically positive but hollow answers. “They never gave me any trouble” is not the same as “They were great tenants I’d welcome back.” References who are trying to help a problem tenant move on will often give answers that are technically true but contain nothing specific or enthusiastic.
4. Reluctance to answer certain questions. If a reference suddenly becomes cagey when you ask about damage, notices, or whether they’d rent again, that selective reluctance is itself an answer.
5. Inconsistencies between the application and the reference. Different dates, different rent amounts, a different reason for leaving – any inconsistency between what the applicant told you and what the reference confirms warrants a direct follow-up with the applicant before proceeding.
For more on the specific warning signs to watch for throughout the entire tenant application review process, that post covers the full range of application-stage red flags.
What PIPEDA Says You Can and Cannot Ask
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) governs how personal information can be collected, used, and disclosed in Canada – including in the context of tenant screening and reference checks.
What PIPEDA Permits
- Asking about rental history, payment behaviour, property maintenance, and tenancy terms – these are directly relevant to the purpose of the reference check
- Confirming dates of tenancy, rent amount, and reason for leaving
- Asking whether the reference would rent to the applicant again
- Collecting information the applicant has consented to you collecting (which they do by providing references)
What PIPEDA Prohibits or Limits
- Asking questions that would reveal or require disclosure of protected characteristics under the Ontario Human Rights Code – including race, national origin, religion, family status, disability, or sex
- Collecting more personal information than is reasonably necessary for the purpose of the reference check
- Using personal information obtained for screening purposes for any other purpose without consent
The Human Rights Code Overlay
Beyond PIPEDA, the Ontario Human Rights Code independently restricts what information you can act on in tenant selection. Even if a reference reveals information about a tenant’s protected characteristic – a disability, family composition, religion – you cannot use that information as a factor in your decision to rent.
The practical rule: ask only questions relevant to rental behaviour and property care. If a reference volunteers information about a protected characteristic, don’t ask follow-up questions about it and don’t record it as part of your screening file.
For a detailed guide on navigating the legal requirements for tenant screening while avoiding discrimination claims in Ontario, that post covers the Human Rights Code requirements alongside the screening process.
Landlord References vs Employment References – Key Differences
These are two very different calls with two different purposes, and conflating them leads to missed information on both.
| Landlord Reference | Employment Reference | |
| Primary purpose | Rental behaviour, property care, neighbour relations | Income verification, reliability, character |
| Most important question | “Would you rent to them again?” | “Would you rehire them?” |
| Tone | More direct – you’re asking about concrete events | More formal – employer may have legal constraints on disclosure |
| What they can’t tell you | Future income stability | Whether they paid rent on time |
| Red flag to listen for | Vagueness, hesitation, hollow positives | Can’t confirm dates or salary; won’t elaborate |
| Privacy constraints | PIPEDA + Human Rights Code | PIPEDA + employer HR policies |
Neither reference replaces the other. Both are part of a complete screening process – and both are part of what our residential leasing service includes when placing tenants on your behalf.
What to Do When References Check Out – and When They Don’t
Even with strong references and a clean credit check, no screening process eliminates risk entirely. For landlords who want an additional layer of protection after thorough screening, a rent guarantee program provides financial coverage if a placed tenant stops paying – giving you the confidence to move forward without carrying all the downside risk yourself.
If references raise concerns but aren’t conclusive enough to reject outright, additional steps worth taking include:
- Requesting a larger last month’s rent deposit (which is the maximum deposit permitted under the RTA – no damage deposit is allowed)
- Conducting a more thorough social media review – why checking a prospective tenant’s social media is a legitimate screening step and what to look for is worth reviewing before you make a final decision
- Asking the applicant directly about any discrepancies before making a decision
What you cannot do: reject a tenant based on a protected characteristic revealed during screening, even indirectly. Document your reasons for any rejection in writing – in case of a Human Rights Tribunal complaint, your documentation needs to show the decision was based on legitimate rental criteria.
For landlords who want a financial backstop beyond the screening process itself, rent insurance covers rental income loss in situations where a tenant stops paying and eviction proceedings are underway – a meaningful protection given current LTB timelines.
Free Landlord Reference Check Template (Copy & Paste)
Use this as a script or a checklist during the call. Fill in tenant and property details before dialling.
LANDLORD REFERENCE CHECK – [APPLICANT NAME]
Date of Call: _______________
Reference Name: _______________
Reference Phone: _______________
Property Address Given by Applicant: _______________
“Hi, my name is [your name] and I’m a landlord considering renting to [applicant name]. They’ve listed you as a previous landlord. Do you have a few minutes to answer some questions?”
- ☐ Can you confirm they rented from you at [address] from [date] to [date]?
- ☐ What was the monthly rent amount?
- ☐ Did they pay rent on time, consistently? Any late payments or N4 notices?
- ☐ Did you ever have to serve them any formal notices during the tenancy?
- ☐ How did they maintain the unit?
- ☐ Did you do move-in/move-out inspections? How did the unit compare?
- ☐ Any complaints from neighbours?
- ☐ Any unauthorized occupants or pets?
- ☐ Any maintenance or damage issues?
- ☐ Did they give proper notice before leaving?
- ☐ Any issues with access for repairs or inspections?
- ☐ How was their communication – reasonable and respectful?
- ☐ Did the tenancy end as expected, or were there disputes?
- ☐ Would you rent to this person again?
- ☐ Is there anything else I should know?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a previous landlord refuse to give a reference in Ontario? Yes – there is no legal obligation for a previous landlord to provide a reference. However, a refusal or a very brief, non-committal response (“I can only confirm dates and rent”) is itself informative. Many landlords who had serious issues with a tenant will decline to give a full reference rather than actively disparage them, for fear of a defamation claim.
Q: Can I reject a tenant based on a bad reference? Yes, provided the reason for rejection is based on legitimate rental criteria – payment history, property care, lease violations, behaviour. You cannot reject a tenant based on information that relates to a protected characteristic under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Document your reasons for rejection clearly.
Q: Is it legal to check a tenant’s social media in Ontario? Yes, reviewing publicly available social media is legal in Ontario. You cannot, however, ask a tenant to provide access to private accounts or use social media to identify and act on protected characteristics. The purpose must be to assess rental behaviour and red flags relevant to the tenancy.
Q: What if both references are personal rather than landlord references? An applicant who can only provide personal references – friends, family, colleagues – and no previous landlord references warrants additional scrutiny. Ask directly why no landlord reference is available. If they’ve never rented before, that’s a reasonable explanation. If they have rented before and claim they can’t reach previous landlords, that explanation is worth probing.
Q: Can I share reference check information with other landlords? Under PIPEDA, personal information collected for tenant screening should only be used for that purpose. Sharing an applicant’s reference check results with other landlords without the applicant’s consent is generally not permissible under PIPEDA, unless the sharing is directly necessary for the purpose of renting the property.
Let a Professional Handle the Entire Screening Process
A thorough reference check is one part of a complete tenant screening process that also includes credit checks, income verification, employment confirmation, identity verification, and application review. Done properly, it takes significant time – and cutting corners on any step creates risk that follows you for the entire tenancy.
→ Tenant screening and selection – full screening process handled on your behalf, including reference calls, credit checks, and employment verification.
→ Residential leasing services – marketing, showings, screening, and lease execution to place the right tenant from the start.
→ Rent guarantee program – financial protection if a placed tenant stops paying, regardless of LTB timelines.
→ Rent insurance – income protection during the eviction process when a tenant defaults.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Privacy law requirements under PIPEDA and the Ontario Human Rights Code are subject to interpretation and change. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed legal professional.
