How to Write an Affidavit of Residence

Get Written Permission from Your Tenant

Sometimes, you might receive a proof of residence letter request from a third party, not your tenant. Some people who might request such a letter would be the following:

• • A court
  • An assistance program
  • An employer
  • A lender
  • A notary
  • The DMV
  • A school
  • A financial institution

If you do receive a request from anyone other than your tenant, you should let your tenant know you received the request and then get written permission from your tenant to provide the information to that third party. This protects you from any lawsuit your tenant might file against you for providing personal information about them to a third party without their consent.

Although you could get assistance from an attorney on drafting a release form, you can make one yourself, saving yourself the attorney fee. Type up a release, such as this one, and get your tenant to sign it.

 

Tenant Release Form

 

To:

(Landlord’s name)

(Landlord’s address)

(Landlord’s phone number)

(Landlord’s email address)

 

From:

(Tenant’s name)

(Tenant’s address, your rental property)

(Tenant’s phone number)

(Tenant’s email address)

 

Re: Proof of Residence letter

I hereby authorize the release of my residence information from (landlord’s name) to (recipient’s name). (Landlord) is allowed to verify the following:

• Address of rental property
• The lease term
• Persons on the lease
• Persons who live on the property
• Rent amount

*Note that the above is a generalized list to use if you don’t know the specific questions to answer. If you do know the specific questions the recipient wants you to answer, the list can change to reflect that.

Sincerely,

Tenant Signature                                                                                                             Date:

 

(Download editable .docx form here)

You would then send this form to your tenant. You can pre-fill in the parts in parentheses. Your tenant would then just need to sign the form, date it, and send it back to you. You should keep a copy for yourself and attach a copy of the release form with your proof of residence letter that you will send to the third party.

 

How to Draft a Proof of Residence Letter as a Landlord

You may be a wonderful communicator and pride yourself on your letter-writing skills. That may be well and good, but there is no place for embellishment of any sort on a legal form, which this proof of residence letter (or form) will be.

The best practice is to just stick with the facts. Write no more and no less. You have two choices on how to draft this letter: letter or template. A letter allows you to write in prose if that is what you prefer, and a template will be a fill-in-the-blank document.

 

Proof of Residence Letter Sample

Here are two examples of a proof of residence letter: one in letter form and one in template form. You could attach a copy of the lease agreement as proof to go along with your letter or form, but unless the third party specifically asks you to attach the lease, you do not necessarily need to attach it.

You might, however, need to notarize a proof of residence letter or form. To be sure, you can ask your tenant or the recipient if this step is necessary. If it is, take the letter or form to a notary, sign in front of the notary, and the notary will then sign the letter or form and put their stamp on it.

 

Proof of Residence Letter Sample

(Your address)

(Date)

(Recipient’s address)

 

To Whom It May Concern:

I am the landlord of (tenant’s name), and I’m writing to confirm that (tenant’s name) resides at my rental property, (address of the rental property: street number, street name, unit number if applicable, city, state, ZIP code). (Tenant’s name) lease term with me began on (start of lease) and will end on (end of lease). (Tenant’s name) lives in the home with (list people who live there). (Tenant’s name) pays me (rent amount) each month on the 1^st of the month (or whatever your term is). You can contact me for more information at (phone number).

Best regards,

(Your signature and date)

(Your typed name and date)

 

(Download editable .docx form here)