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Do I need to list all landlords on a rental application?

I need am applying for a house that is contract for deed. the landlord asks for previous landlords but my old landlord and I never actually got along, well she didn't with anyone on the property. Do I need to give him this information if I know she'll give me a bad reference? My current landlord will give me a good one but my previous one likes to point out gossip and just things that are untrue which has prevented me from renting in the past.

Public Comments

1. Just give him the current one and play dumb. If he asks about the prior one just state you do not wish that person to know your personal business and leave it at that
2. I'm a LL and take the current LL reference with a grain of salt. How do I know he/she is not happy to get rid of you and will say anything towards that end? I give more weight to former LL references because they no longer have a dog in the fight and tend to be more truthful. That said, choosing a new tenant is more "big picture" than applicants might think. A new LL takes into account the entire equation: past rental history, income, job, credit, household number, pets, etc. and then chooses the best fit for the unit. I'd include your nutjob prior LL on your app with a quick disclaimer that she is not hitting on all cylinders. Within the 5 minute conversation your new LL has with her, if he even calls her, he'll probably figure out she's not all there. It's always better to be more forthcoming initially than trying to explain omissions later.
3. Give them your current landlord and say you lived at home before that.Or returned from overseas work.
4. Yes. You cannot skip one because they will give you a bad reference. If you get a bad reference you just have to deal with it. When landlords to a credit check all previous addresses show on the report. So if you leave any rentals off the application they WILL find out & that will be a big red flag. Lying about or trying to hide a rental from any potential landlord can get you denied. It is unfortunate you rented from such a jerk but there is nothing you can do about it now & you cannot hide from it.
5. Not sure why everyone gave Beverly a thumbs-down. That's what I'd do. Plus, a credit report is, in my opinion, the best use to judge someone's character. If they don't pay bills, then they probably don't take care of other things in their lives. That's been my experience.