What specific landlord verification forms do different state SNAP agencies provide or require?
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Executive summary
State SNAP programs routinely require verification of shelter costs and residency and most states either publish a state-specific “landlord verification” or “shelter verification” form or accept landlord letters/receipts; examples include Massachusetts’ landlord verification form and Texas’ Form H1857, while New York uses LDSS shelter forms and collateral contact procedures, and Georgia accepts landlord collateral contacts among other methods [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Massachusetts — a downloadable state landlord verification that asks for rent and utilities
Massachusetts posts a specific “Landlord Verification Form” that applicants give to landlords or property managers to confirm residency, rent amount and utility responsibility, and the form is used for SNAP, TAFDC and EAEDC verification purposes [1]; the state also lists rent receipts, leases or landlord letters as acceptable documentation for shelter verification on its program verification guidance [5].
2. Texas — a formal H1857 form sent directly to landlords by workers
Texas Health and Human Services uses a formal Landlord Verification, Form H1857, designed to be prepared and mailed by agency staff to landlords to request eligibility information, with instructions that the landlord complete and return the original and that agencies retain the form for record-keeping [2] [6]; the form is presented as legally binding in guidance and is a standard procedural tool when a worker decides landlord contact is necessary [2] [6].
3. New York — LDSS shelter forms plus oral collateral contacts when written proof is lacking
New York’s SNAP prescreening and local district directives use LDSS shelter verification forms (for example LDSS-3668) to collect household composition and shelter expense details, and the state explicitly permits using collateral contacts such as landlords for verification — including phone calls or written statements — if written documentation is unavailable [3] [7]; New York’s Front End Detection System (FEDS) and verification checklist (LDSS-2642) frame when and how collateral contacts are used [7].
4. Other states and common practice — forms vary; many accept landlord letters, receipts or agency templates
A survey of publicly available templates and local agency PDFs shows widely varying practice: county or local landlord statements that must be completed in ink (Oneida County example) are used in New York counties [8], and searchable vendors and legal‑help pages publish landlord statement templates and “proof of rent” letters that agencies often accept when they contain landlord contact, rent amount, move‑in date and utility responsibilities [9] [10] [11]; state guidance and third‑party sites repeatedly note that because SNAP rules vary by state, landlords should consult the state agency or caseworker for the exact required form [12].
5. Verification alternatives and anti‑fraud practices — collateral contacts, best available info, and oral confirmations
Several states explicitly allow alternatives to a signed landlord form: Georgia’s SNAP materials list collateral contacts (including landlords) as acceptable oral or written third‑party verification and instruct agencies to use best available information or home visits if documentation is unobtainable [4]; New York similarly authorizes calling collateral contacts as a substitute for written proof when necessary [7].
6. Read the labels — state forms are authoritative; third‑party templates can mislead
Commercial fillable‑form sites and document libraries circulate editable “landlord verification” PDFs and generic templates that reflect typical questions (rent, utilities, residency) but are not a substitute for state‑specific forms; advisors and template sites explicitly warn that rules and accepted proof vary and that applicants should rely on official state agency forms or their caseworker to avoid processing delays [12] [13].
7. What reporting cannot confirm — limits of the sourcing
Available reporting and document samples establish clear examples from Massachusetts, Texas and New York and describe common alternatives (landlord letters, receipts, collateral contacts), but a comprehensive, state‑by‑state inventory of every specific landlord verification form and the precise checkbox language for all 50 states is not provided in the sources reviewed, so definitive statements about states not represented here cannot be made from the provided material [1] [2] [3] [4] [12].