Chapter 6 of 10 · Ending it yourself · 4 of 6
References for your next tenancy
What a landlord reference should say, what to do if the landlord refuses, and the other proof that works.
Checked 27 OCT 2026 · 3 sourcesWritten in plain English for the person paying the rent. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland only.
A landlord reference is a short letter from your current or last landlord saying who you are, how long you rented, that you paid the rent and that you left the home in good order. Nothing in the Act requires a landlord to write one, and there is no official form. A good one is half a page, signed and dated, with a phone number the next landlord can ring.
Where the landlord will not write one, the same facts can be shown another way: the RTB registration, the bank statements, the rent book, and the deposit returned in full. Most next landlords and agents want the evidence, not the prose. The letter builder has a confirm-in-writing letter you can adapt to ask for a reference or for a factual confirmation.
This guide is about the reference you take with you. What a new landlord may ask you for on the way in, including the bank statements and the ID, is in references: what a landlord may ask for.
What a reference should say
A reference answers five questions a next landlord has, and it should answer them in order.
| What it covers | What it says |
|---|---|
| Who and where | Your name, the address of the home, and that the landlord let it to you |
| How long | The start date and the end date, or "to date" if you are still there |
| The rent | The monthly rent, and that it was paid in full and on time |
| The home | That it was kept clean and in good condition, and any damage was put right |
| The ending | That proper notice was given, the deposit was returned in full, and the landlord would rent to you again |
It should be on the landlord's or the agent's letterhead where they have one, or sent from the email address they used with you during the tenancy. It needs a name, a phone number and an email, because the next landlord will check. A reference the next landlord cannot verify is worth less than a bank statement.
Ask for it in the last month, before you leave, when the landlord has the most reason to help you. A landlord who has a new tenant lined up and a deposit returned without argument is at their most willing. Ask by email so the request and the reply are on record.
A plain example
This is the shape, in our words. It is not an official document and there is none. The names are examples.
To whom it may concern.
Aoife Walsh rented 14 Elm Terrace, Cork, T12 AB12 from me from 1 February 2025 to 9 December 2026.
The rent was €1,800 a month and was paid in full and on time throughout.
The home was kept clean and in good condition, and the deposit was returned in full.
She gave proper notice and I would rent to her again.
I can be contacted on the number below if you need anything further.
Signed: Sinead Byrne, landlord, 086 000 0000.
Date: 10 December 2026.
Do not write the reference yourself and ask the landlord to sign it. Send the request with the five points listed and let the landlord write it in their own words. A next landlord who rings and finds the author did not write it will discount everything else in your application.
If the landlord refuses
A landlord is not obliged to write a reference and the RTB cannot order one. Some refuse on principle, some are too busy, and some are ending the tenancy on bad terms. Each is dealt with differently.
If the landlord is busy or wary, ask for less: a two-line factual confirmation of the address, the dates and the rent, with a phone number. Most landlords will give that where they will not write a full letter. The confirm-in-writing letter is the right form for the request.
If the tenancy is ending badly, do not ask for a reference that will not be honest, and do not argue about it. Use the other proof below, and give the next landlord a short, calm account of what happened if asked. A deposit dispute at the RTB is not a mark against you. The RTB's adjudication reports since 14 September 2026 name both parties, and a tenant who recovered a deposit that was lawfully owed has nothing to explain.
If the landlord has given a reference that is untrue, write to them with the evidence and ask for a corrected one. Keep that exchange; it shows the next landlord that you dealt with the problem directly.
The other proof that works
A reference is one way to show four facts: where you lived, for how long, that you paid, and that you left well. Each can be shown without the landlord.
Where and for how long. The RTB registration confirmation for the tenancy gives the address and the start date, and the public register shows the tenancy was registered. The tenancy agreement shows the same. A utility bill or a bank letter at the address shows you lived there.
That you paid. Bank statements showing the rent leaving on the same day each month are better evidence than any letter. The rent book, or the written record of payments you are entitled to under the 1993 Regulations, shows the same thing; the rent book guide explains your right to one. If you paid cash, the rent book is the only record, which is one reason to insist on one.
That you left well. The landlord's email confirming the deposit was returned in full, or the bank credit itself. Your own dated photographs from the day you left. The notice you served, with proof of the date, showing you gave the proper period.
Who you are. A reference from your employer confirming your job and income does more for most applications than the landlord's letter. A reference from an earlier landlord, or from an agent who managed the home, counts as well. A character reference from someone who knows you is weaker but is better than nothing where the rest is thin.
Put the set together as a single PDF before you start viewing: ID, proof of income, the proof of address, the bank statements showing rent, and the reference or the confirmation. An applicant with the file ready at the viewing is the one the agent remembers.
If you have never rented before, or rented abroad
A first-time renter has no landlord to ask. The employer's reference, the proof of income and a guarantor, where the landlord asks for one, carry the application. A student can add a letter from the college confirming the course. A parent or relative with whom you lived can confirm that in writing, though it is not a landlord reference and should not be dressed up as one.
A reference from a landlord abroad is fine; send it in the original language with a translation if needed, and give the contact details so it can be checked. If you are new to the country, renting on a work permit covers the documents a landlord here will ask for.
Where this leaves you
A landlord reference is a courtesy, not a right, and the Act gives you no way to compel one. What it proves can be proved another way: the RTB registration for the address and dates, the bank statements for the rent, the rent book, and the deposit returned in full for the condition. Ask early, by email, for a short letter with a phone number, and settle for a factual confirmation if that is all the landlord will give. Build the file before you view, keep every reference check honest, and the next tenancy is decided on the evidence rather than on a letter.
Questions people ask
What should a landlord reference letter say?
The address, the dates of the tenancy, the rent, that it was paid on time, that the home was kept in good condition, that the deposit was returned in full, and whether the landlord would rent to you again. It should be signed and dated, with the landlord's or agent's name, phone number and email so the next landlord can check it. Half a page is enough.
Does my landlord have to give me a reference?
No. There is no duty in the Residential Tenancies Act to write a reference, and the RTB cannot order one. Most landlords will, because a tenant who paid on time and left the home well is easy to describe. If yours refuses, ask instead for a short factual confirmation of the dates and the rent, and build the rest of your file from the other proof that exists.
Is there a template for a landlord reference in Ireland?
There is no official form. A reference is an ordinary letter or email from the landlord or agent, and the plain example in this guide shows the shape. Do not write one yourself for the landlord to sign without reading; a next landlord who rings and finds the author did not write it will discount everything else in your application.
What can I use instead of a landlord reference?
The RTB registration confirmation for your tenancy, which shows the address and the start date. Bank statements showing the rent going out on the same day each month. The rent book or the payment record you are entitled to under the 1993 Regulations. The written confirmation that your deposit was returned in full. A reference from an agent, an employer, or an earlier landlord. Together they show the same things a reference would.
Can a landlord give me a bad reference?
A landlord may give an honest account, including a tenancy that ended badly. What they may not do is state something untrue. If a reference says you were in arrears when you were not, write to the landlord with the bank statements and ask for it to be corrected. A false statement that costs you a home is a matter for a solicitor, but a correction in writing usually resolves it.