You’ve got an application on your desk. The credit score looks fine, the income covers the rent, and the applicant was polite at the showing. Now comes the step a lot of owners skip, which is calling the people who have already handed this person a set of keys.
This post is for rental owners and investors who screen tenants themselves, or who want to know what a good screening process looks like before they hand it off. We’ll cover why the landlord call still matters, what the law asks you to do first, who to call, what to ask, and how to tell when an answer is off. Rely Property Management handles 215 properties for 120 owners, so we make these calls constantly.
In This Guide
Why a Credit Score Can’t Replace the Landlord Call
Credit reports measure how someone repays debt. They say nothing about whether a tenant sneaks in a dog, lets a cousin move in, or leaves the garage looking like a crime scene.
Picture a landlord who skips the call because the applicant has strong credit and steady income. Six months in, the house has two dogs nobody mentioned and a roommate who isn’t on the lease. The previous landlord could have flagged both in about ninety seconds.
Those are the issues we see most in this business. Unauthorized pets, unauthorized occupants, late rent, and property damage all show up in a rental history long before they show up in a credit file. On our own properties, pets are capped at two, with a $500 deposit and $25 monthly pet rent for each one. A hidden pet skips every dollar of that.
If you ask around for the best landlord tips Georgetown Texas owners swap, “always call the last landlord” lands near the top for a reason.
Put Your Screening Criteria in Writing First
Before you collect a single application, get your tenant selection criteria on paper. Texas law requires it.
When you give someone a rental application, you must also make available a printed notice of your selection criteria. The notice has to list the reasons an application can be denied, including:
- Previous rental history
- Criminal history
- Current income
- Credit history
- Inaccurate or incomplete information on the application
If you plan to check rental history and call previous landlords, say so in those criteria. The applicant also has to sign an acknowledgment that the criteria were made available. Without a signed acknowledgment, the law presumes you never gave the notice, and the burden of proving otherwise falls on you. The acknowledgment can be built into the application itself if the notice is in bold or underlined.
If you reject an applicant without having made the selection-criteria notice available, you must return the application fee and any application deposit. A verbal explanation of your criteria doesn’t count. The statute calls for a printed notice and a signed acknowledgment.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current statute or ask an attorney to review your application packet.
Make Sure the “Landlord” Is Actually a Landlord
Fake references are rarer than good ones, but they happen. Say an owner gets an application from a relocating family. The rental history looks spotless, but the listed landlord’s number goes to a personal cell, and the voice on the line sounds more like a friend than a property owner. That kind of thing only gets caught if someone checks.
Here is a quick way to verify:
- Find your own number. Look up the property or management company independently instead of trusting the number on the application.
- Match the name. Compare the landlord’s name to public property records for that address.
- Ask for proof. A copy of the lease or a ledger showing rent payments is reasonable to request.
- Call during business hours. A real landlord or management office picks up at a desk, not from a car or a couch.
Small steps, but they filter out the worst surprises.
The Questions Worth Asking
Vague questions get vague answers. “Were they a good tenant?” invites a polite yes. Ask specific questions, and ask them the same way for every applicant:
- Did they pay rent on time, and how many times was it late?
- Did they stay for the full lease term?
- Were there any lease violations, such as pets, extra occupants, or noise complaints?
- Did they give proper notice before moving out?
- What condition did they leave the home in beyond normal wear?
- Was there a dispute over the security deposit?
- Would you rent to them again?
Question five matters more than it looks. When a home comes back damaged, someone has to price the repair, and our general contractors like Pates Repairs and M2 see the difference between normal wear and real damage every week. A landlord who describes the move-out condition in detail usually knows what they’re talking about.
Question seven is the one to watch. A hesitation before “yes” tells you plenty.
Who to Call and How Far Back to Go
Two Years Is Usually Enough
Going back about two years gets you the most useful picture. Older history stops being reliable because people’s circumstances change. A rough stretch five years ago says less than how someone handled their last two leases.
Try at Least Three Contacts on a Borderline Applicant
If an application is clean across the board, one or two calls may be enough. If something feels off, try at least three contacts. That could be the current landlord, the previous landlord, and the one before that. Current landlords sometimes have a reason to want a tenant gone, so a prior landlord often gives the more honest read.
Out-of-State Histories Are Normal Here
The Georgetown and Round Rock corridor draws a lot of renters tied to Fort Cavazos in Bell County, which we also serve. Many of them have rental histories spread across several states. Calling a landlord in another time zone takes more effort, but it’s the same call with the same questions.
“Rely Property Management handles 215 properties for 120 owners, so we make these calls constantly.”
How to Read What You Hear
Listen for what’s missing as much as what’s said. Here are some patterns we watch for:
| What you hear | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| A glowing review in two sentences with no detail | The landlord may be happy to move a problem along. Ask a follow-up and see if the detail appears. |
| A long pause before “would you rent to them again” | There’s likely something they’d rather not say out loud. |
| Specific, balanced answers, including small complaints | Usually a good sign. Honest landlords mention flaws. |
| No callback after two tries | Silence can be informative, but it isn’t proof of anything. |
Written letters deserve extra caution. Say an owner gets a glowing reference letter that the applicant handed over directly. You can’t ask a letter to pause, hedge, or refuse to answer. A live phone call can.
The landlord call catches what the credit report never will. The most useful references come from people willing to answer pointed questions, and the least useful come from letters the applicant carried in.
What to Do When There Is No Rental History
Newcomers are a big share of the applications we see locally. Population growth has brought in a lot of first-time renters, including people who sold a home or moved from out of state. For anyone shopping Georgetown rental properties, that means plenty of qualified applicants have thin or non-Texas rental history.
No history isn’t a red flag by itself. Look for other evidence of how they handled housing payments, such as:
- Mortgage payment history for former homeowners
- Employer verification and income documents
- Proof of consistent payment on other recurring obligations
Whatever you decide, write it into your criteria and apply it the same way to everyone.
Give Previous Landlords Time and Keep Notes
Most landlords are busy, so don’t expect an answer in an hour. Our own stated response window is 24 to 48 business hours, though we’re usually faster, and that’s a fair benchmark to give someone you’ve left a message for. One owner whose management moved to us put it simply, saying the team was “quick to respond to emails,” and that’s the standard we hold ourselves to when other landlords call us about our tenants.
Document every call. Write down the date, who you spoke with, and what they said. We run screening through AppFolio, which keeps applicant records and notes in one place. Allison Henderson, one of our property managers, can walk any owner through how that works. If a decision is ever questioned, notes beat memory.
If You Deny the Application
Tie the denial to your written criteria and stick to facts. A bad previous-landlord reference is a legitimate reason to deny when rental history is in your criteria and the notice was made available. Without that notice, you owe the applicant their application fee and any application deposit back.
If your decision rests on a screening report, such as a credit or eviction report, federal law can require you to send an adverse-action notice. The details matter, so check the current rules or ask your screening provider what they require. And ask every applicant the same questions in the same way, so your process stays consistent and fair under fair housing rules.
When It Makes Sense to Hand This Off
Calling landlords isn’t hard, but doing it well takes time and practice. Our owner started in property management at 18 in multifamily, then spent eight years in single-family under a broker before starting Rely. That background taught us which questions get honest answers.
Our property managers, Mandy Crane and Allison Henderson, handle owner and tenant communication every day. One client described how we handled a difficult rental transition as “entirely judgment-free” with “a phenomenal communicator” on the other end. That’s the tone we bring to hard conversations, including the ones with previous landlords.
If screening feels harder than it should, or you want Georgetown property management that treats it as routine, we’re open to a conversation.
FAQ
How far back should I check rental history?
About two years is a practical window. Older history gets less reliable because circumstances change, and the most recent leases tell you the most.
What if a previous landlord won’t call me back?
Try at least twice, give them 24 to 48 business hours, and then move to another contact. Ask the applicant for a lease copy or proof of rent payments, and treat repeated silence as one data point rather than a verdict.
Is a reference letter from the applicant enough?
No. A letter the applicant hands you can’t be questioned, and it won’t reveal hesitation. Call the landlord directly using a number you verified yourself.
Can I deny someone because of a bad reference from a previous landlord?
Yes, if rental history is part of your written selection criteria and you made the printed notice available with a signed acknowledgment. If you skipped the notice, you have to return the application fee and any application deposit.
Should I call the current landlord or the previous one?
Try both when you can. A current landlord may want the tenant gone for reasons that have nothing to do with the tenant’s behavior, so the previous landlord often gives a more candid picture.
