personal references aren't what they used to be, unfortunately. A lot of land lords and most real estate management offices do credit and criminal checks, for verification purposes.<br><br>That said, I keep references for my dogs and myself going back to 1977 when I first moved out of my parent's home. It can't hurt! I've gotten them from every landlord (in which my dogs' behavior is mentioned), my vets and almost every pet sitting/dog training client (showing responsible pet ownership). <br><br>When I ask someone for a reference, I offer to type something up so they don't have to. Mostly everyone prefers that.<br>