Reasons to Request a Landlord as a Reference

For parents considering a nanny, especially a live-in nanny, securing information from a landlord can provide additional background information about a nanny candidate.

For parents who are not only hiring a nanny but also a housemate, gaining insight into a nanny’s level of responsibility when it comes to maintaining a home can be insightful. Landlords can provide information about a nanny’s character, her lifestyle, her rental payment history and how she maintains her home. A landlord may also disclose if the nanny lives alone or lives with roommates and if she follows the rules the landlord has laid out in the lease. A landlord may also know if a nanny has trouble getting along with neighbors or if law enforcement makes frequent visits to the home.

Prior to contacting a nanny’s landlord, the nanny should provide written authorization for the landlord to be contacted as a reference.

When parents consider the necessary steps to screen a nanny, researching a nanny candidate’s residential history can be beneficial. While criminal record checks are common, parents may not consider utilizing a landlord as a reference to verify a nanny’s residence.

By contacting a landlord, parents can:

  1. Verify a nanny’s address. Having an accurate mailing address on record for a nanny is essential. A landlord can confirm the address a nanny provided on her application.
  2. Gauge financial responsibility. A nanny who is consistently late with her rent or has not paid rent in months is not financially responsible. Parents may not wish to entrust their children or household to the nanny.
  3. Gain insight into personal responsibility. A landlord can provide information about a nanny’s level of responsibility when it comes to reporting problems promptly and communicating issues as they arise.
  4. Get the landlord’s impression of the nanny. Landlords can give a basic character analysis and raise red flags when it comes to behavior.
  5. Discover a nanny’s living habits. For a live-in nanny, landlord verification can help determine a nanny’s hygiene and cleanliness habits. A nanny who keeps her home in poor condition is not likely to leave her living quarters in good condition while working.
  6. Learn if a nanny has trouble getting along with others. Landlord verification can provide parents with knowledge about the nanny’s ability to get along with others. If the landlord suggests that the nanny is always having problems with the neighbors, she might not be a good fit for the family.
  7. Discover if the nanny follows rules. Parents expect their nanny to abide by their work agreement. If the landlord suggests that the nanny broke the rules laid out in the lease, it could be a red flag.
  8. Gain insight into credit history. While parents may run a separate credit check, they can ask if the landlord ran one prior to renting.
  9. Confirm the information the nanny provided. A landlord can confirm how long a nanny has lived at the residence and any other information she provides on her application.
  10. Learn if a landlord would rent to the nanny again. In addition to confirming a nanny wasn’t evicted, parents can ask if they would rent to the nanny again.

Obtaining verification from the nanny’s landlord about her living situation and rental history can provide parents with important information regarding her behavior and habits. Requesting that the nanny list her landlord as a reference can provide access to this information.

For more information on background screenings please review our Guide to Nanny Background Checks.