The Nolo Press Landlord Guide is the best $30 you will ever write off on your Schedule E. Among other things, it tells you exactly what kinds of questions you can and can’t ask when screening tenants. In response to your specific question, in California anyway, yes you can ask a previous landlord whether the rent was paid on time, and whether they would rent to this person again.

If they don’t give me valid contact info for the last two landlords, the application goes in the shredder. If they don’t list enough non-related personal and job references, the application goes in the shredder. If the credit report shows a history of late credit card payments, the application process stops there. There is a percentage of people who just can’t get their shit together. These are not the people you want living in a house that you own. I’d rather let it sit vacant for another month and find a reliable tenant.

In this example, as soon as I caught the applicant in a lie or a significant misrepresentation, they’re toast. What other lies or excuses will they give you in the future when the rent is overdue? Life’s too short to play these games.