How do you know if the landlord listed on an application is real or made up? The answer coming up.
Let’s face it, if an applicant is a bad tenant, they aren’t going to list the real landlord or property manager on their application. They’ll get denied.
So, what do they do? They list someone, a friend or whoever that will lie for them. How do you catch this?
You must first search to see who the real owner is and then search to see if you can find a contact number. Don’t just rely on what is listed on the application.
With experience, you get a feeling that something is off. Here’s a situation that I just recently had.
The applicant listed a personal name as their current landlord with their phone number. The applicant was moving from Miami. I looked up the owner on Miami’s Property Appraiser’s website, and they had a corporation listed as the owner.
I could not find a contact number on the internet for this corporation, so I called the person listed on the application. They gave the applicant a very good rental reference. Never been late and has been a good tenant. My final question to this person was “the property appraiser had a corporation listed as the owner. Can you tell me the name of the corporation?” Then there was silence, and she said, “can you hold on?”.
She came back on the phone and said there must be some kind of mistake. She owned the home for years and the property appraiser had it wrong. She sounded very convincing.
I then called the property appraisers office in Miami to confirm who the owner is. The clerk confirmed that as far as their concerned, I had it right and the owner is a corporation.
I needed to do some investigating. Because I could not find any contact information on this corporation, I then went to the Florida Division of Corporations website to look up this corporation. What I found was interesting.
It was a real corporation, but the registered agent for the corporation was a management company. So, I search the internet for contact information on this management company and found a couple of phone numbers. Get ready for this.
I called the management company, and they answered. I stated who I was and asked, “by any chance do you own or manage the property at such and such”.
They said, “yes, why do you ask?”. I explained someone applied for a home we have for rent in Tampa but listed a different person as the landlord.
They never heard of the landlord that the applicant listed and verified that they were the real owner. They also confirmed that our applicant was their current tenant. They were happy that I called because they were two months behind on their rent, wouldn’t return their calls and about to file for eviction.
So, the landlord that was listed on the application that I spoke with was not the real landlord and was not being truthful.
This was application fraud, and the application was denied. This took some time to uncover, and most landlords would probably not go this far, but it was worth it. We probably avoided a lot of future headaches.
You can see how flakey applicants will try and trick you. Before you start contacting past and present landlords for rental verifications, you need to first confirm who is listed as the owner of the property and do a search for contact information. Don’t always rely on what the applicant gives you, it could be fraudulent.
I hoped this helped. If you ever need any help with your property, please reach out to me. Thank you for watching.
I asked Chat GPT about fake landlords on an application. Here is what Chat GPT had to say.
Here are some key facts and red flags about fake landlords on rental applications, along with how to spot and deal with them:
What “Fake Landlords” Are
A fake landlord is someone who pretends to be a property owner or manager — often to:
- Scam potential tenants out of application fees or deposits.
- Provide false rental references (e.g., for a friend trying to rent a new place).
- Misrepresent ownership of a property they don’t control.
Common Signs of a Fake Landlord
- Cannot prove ownership
- Refuses to show property deed, utility bills, or ID.
- Name on lease or deed doesn’t match public property records.
- Requests money early or through non-secure methods
- Asks for cash, gift cards, or wire transfers before viewing or signing a lease.
- Pressures you to pay quickly to “hold” the unit.
- Unverifiable contact information
- Uses only a free email (like Gmail or Yahoo).
- Phone number is a burner number or doesn’t match the area code.
- Avoids giving a business address.
- Rental price seems too good to be true
- Rent is well below market value to attract quick responses.
- Inconsistent or vague answers
- Can’t answer basic questions about the property (repairs, utilities, past tenants).
- Refuses in-person meetings or only communicates online.
- Property listed multiple times under different names or platforms
- May indicate that photos were stolen from another legitimate listing.
🔍 How to Verify a Landlord
- Check county property records – confirm who legally owns the property.
- Search the landlord’s name online – look for business registration or reviews.
- Compare contact info – see if it matches official rental listings.
- Visit the property in person – never send money without viewing it.
- Ask for ID and proof of ownership or management authority.
- Call a current tenant (if possible) to confirm who they pay rent to.
Fake Landlords as Rental References
Sometimes applicants list fake landlords as references to cover up evictions or poor payment history.
Red flags for fake landlord references:
- Reference phone goes directly to voicemail or “friend.”
- Reference gives overly vague or generic answers.
- Dates and addresses don’t match rental history or credit report.
Verification tip:
Cross-check the supposed landlord’s name with public records or call the property management company directly.
