Automate Rental Reference Letters with Make.com

Using Make.com, you can fully automate rental reference letters so property managers and agents no longer waste time on repetitive paperwork. This guide walks you through building an end-to-end workflow that collects data, generates a formatted letter, and sends it securely to the right person.

The process is based on the official how-to guide from Make.com's rental reference automation tutorial, adapted here as a clear, SEO-optimized walkthrough.

Why automate rental references with Make.com

Manual rental reference letters are time-consuming and prone to mistakes. With Make.com you can:

• Reduce admin time for property managers and agents.
• Standardize the layout, wording, and branding of every letter.
• Store data in structured formats for reporting and compliance.
• Deliver references quickly and securely by email.

Once your scenario is built, the only thing staff need to do is fill out a simple online form. Make.com takes care of the rest.

Plan your Make.com scenario before building

Before opening Make.com, define a few key elements of your process:

• Trigger: A web form or portal where staff enter applicant data.
• Data fields: Tenant name, property address, rental period, payment history, contact details, and recipient email.
• Document format: A professional reference letter in Google Docs or another supported tool.
• Delivery method: Typically Gmail or another email service, possibly CC/BCC to internal staff.

Planning these elements makes it easier to map each step into modules inside Make.com.

Create a webhook trigger in Make.com

The first part of your automation is capturing the data from a web form.

Step 1: Add a custom webhook module in Make.com

1. Log in to your Make.com dashboard and create a new scenario.
2. Click the plus icon and choose the Webhooks app.
3. Select Custom webhook and create a new webhook.
4. Copy the unique webhook URL generated by Make.com.

This URL will be used in your form tool so that each form submission instantly triggers the scenario.

Step 2: Connect your form or portal

You can use tools such as forms, portals, or internal apps that support HTTP requests. Configure your form to send a POST request with all form fields to the webhook URL from Make.com.

Submit a test entry so the webhook in Make.com can capture the sample payload. This allows you to map the fields in later steps.

Store submissions with Make.com and a data app

Once the webhook is receiving data, the next step is to store each request for tracking and reporting.

Step 3: Connect a database or spreadsheet module

After the webhook module in Make.com, add a storage module such as:

• Google Sheets
• Airtable
• Notion databases
• Another compatible data source

Map the incoming webhook fields (tenant details, property, rental history, recipient) to columns or fields in your chosen data app.

This step ensures every reference request is recorded and can be reviewed or audited later.

Build a Google Docs template in Make.com

Now you need a professional rental reference letter template that Make.com can populate automatically.

Step 4: Design your letter template

1. Create a new document in Google Docs.
2. Write a generic rental reference letter with placeholders for dynamic data.
3. Use clear placeholder markers like {{tenant_name}}, {{property_address}}, {{rental_period}}, and {{payment_status}}.

Keep the language standardized so every letter follows a consistent tone and structure.

Step 5: Add the Google Docs module in Make.com

1. In your scenario, add the Google Docs app after your data storage step.
2. Choose an action such as Create a document from a template or Copy a document.
3. Connect your Google account to Make.com.
4. Select the template you just created.

Map the webhook data (e.g., tenant name, address, dates) to the placeholder fields in your template. Make.com will merge these values into a new document for every request.

Generate a PDF and prepare email delivery

Many landlords and agencies prefer references as PDF attachments.

Step 6: Convert the document to PDF

1. After the template module, add another Google Docs or Google Drive module.
2. Use an action such as Export document or Convert to PDF.
3. Store the resulting file ID or direct link so it can be attached to an email.

This process ensures each rental reference letter is generated as a clean, read-only PDF.

Step 7: Configure email sending in Make.com

1. Add an email module, such as Gmail > Send an email.
2. Connect the appropriate email account.
3. Set the recipient field to the email address captured in the webhook (for example, a prospective landlord or agent).
4. Fill in the subject line and body with a clear message explaining the attached reference.
5. Attach the generated PDF from the previous module.

You can also CC internal team members or send a copy to the tenant if appropriate for your process.

Test and refine your Make.com rental workflow

Before rolling this workflow out, thoroughly test it inside Make.com.

Step 8: Run end-to-end tests

• Submit several test forms with different tenant details.
• Confirm records are stored correctly in your database or sheet.
• Open the generated Google Docs and PDFs to check formatting.
• Verify that emails are sent to the correct recipients with the right attachments.

Adjust mappings, text, or formatting as needed. Make.com makes it easy to tweak modules, rerun the scenario, and review the execution history.

Best practices for scaling with Make.com

Once your first scenario is stable, you can expand the solution with additional features inside Make.com:

• Add internal notifications to Slack or Microsoft Teams.
• Use filters and routers to handle different property types or regions.
• Introduce approval steps before sending the letter.
• Track metrics like processing time and volume of references over time.

These enhancements turn your automated rental reference letters into a robust paperwork automation system.

Going further with automation beyond Make.com

Automating rental reference letters with Make.com is just one use case. The same approach applies to employment references, bank letters, or compliance confirmations.

If you want expert help designing complex workflows or integrating additional systems, you can explore consulting resources such as Consultevo, which specializes in automation strategy and implementation.

By combining a well-structured scenario, a clear Google Docs template, and reliable email delivery, Make.com lets you remove manual paperwork from your rental reference process while ensuring every letter is accurate, professional, and delivered on time.

Need Help With Make.com?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.

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