Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Re: SSN from previous landlord?

I just noticed that this indicates LA law question - if the tenancy was in LA, then LA law is going to govern the answer to this question. If that is the case, I cannot answer the question as I am not licensed in the State of LA.

If this is about a tenancy in California, then the following information may be helpful - if the landlord is being asked for a reference for a previous tenant by a prospective landlord, then the answer is no. Landlords are not required, unless provided for in the lease (I have yet to see that), to provide a reference at all. The landlord can give as little or as much information as he or she sees fit. Best practice is to confirm the date on which they moved in, the date on which they moved out, rent they paid when they moved in, and rent they paid when they moved out. Anything other than that is subjective to a degree, and could expose the landlord to a claim of defamation.

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