The four most common types of recommendation letters include professional, academic, rental, and personal. A personal reference, sometimes called a character reference, describes a person's lifestyle, morals, values, and personality traits. A personal reference works well for immigration applications or court testimonies. A professional reference, also known as an employer reference, describes a person's qualifications, skills, and work ethic. It's typically used for job applications. A rental reference, sometimes called a landlord reference, describes a person’s behaviour as a tenant. The letter may touch on their ability to pay rent on time and abide by contract terms. An academic reference, or a school/college reference, describes a person's academic aptitude, knowledge and career goals. Some schools, courses, scholarships and grants require an academic reference along with an application.