Online Tenant Reference Checks NZ: Skip the Phone Tag

Calling three referees, playing phone tag for two days, then trying to remember what each one actually said - that's still how most self-managing landlords do reference checks. It doesn't have to be.

What "online reference check" actually means here

Instead of calling a previous landlord or employer yourself, you send them a secure link by email. They fill out a short structured form on their own time, no account, no login, no app to download. Their answers come back attached to the applicant's record, timestamped, in writing.

This solves the two real problems with phone references: they're slow to schedule, and a phone call leaves no record beyond your memory of what was said. For what to actually ask referees and how to read the answers, see our guide on tenant references, the same questions apply whether you ask them by phone or by form, and Tenancy Services covers the same ground on its choosing the right tenant page, including what you can and can't ask under the Privacy Act 2020.

Why written beats verbal here

• No scheduling back-and-forth. The referee answers when it suits them, not when you both happen to be free.
• A written record you can actually refer back to. If two applicants are close and you're deciding between them, you can reread the actual answers instead of relying on notes you scribbled during a call.
• Consistent questions, every time. The same structured set of questions goes to every referee, so you're comparing applicants on the same basis rather than whatever came up in each individual conversation.
• Referees engage more openly in writing. Some previous landlords are cautious on the phone but more willing to be specific in a written form, particularly on the questions that matter most: reliability, and whether they'd rent to this person again.

How RentManager handles it

• Magic-link referee form. Email a previous landlord or employer a secure link, they complete the reference online, no RentManager login required on their end.
• Structured questions. How the referee knows the applicant, how long, reliability, whether they'd recommend them, the same question set every time, so responses are genuinely comparable across applicants.
• Guided outcome wizard. Once responses are in, record the outcome against the applicant with a guided wizard, not just raw answers sitting unreviewed, but a deliberate pass/conditional/fail-style judgement call you actually make and can point back to later.
• Attached to the applicant record. Every response and outcome lives on the applicant's file alongside their application, not in a separate email thread you'll lose track of.

Send a reference request and see the referee's-eye view of the form in the live demo: try it in the demo.

Quick answers

Does the referee need a RentManager account?

No. They get a secure link by email and fill out the form directly, nothing to sign up for.

Can I still call a referee if I want to?

Yes. The online form doesn't replace your judgement, it just gives you a faster, written starting point. Nothing stops you following up by phone if something in their answers needs clarifying.

What if the referee never responds?

You can see the request is still outstanding on the applicant record and choose whether to wait, chase it up, or proceed with the references you do have.

Is this the same as a credit check?

No. Reference checks are about how the applicant has behaved as a tenant or employee in the past; a credit or background check (Centrix) is a separate financial-history check.

Stop chasing referees by phone. Try RentManager free, no credit card required.