Why is my landlord requesting a W-9

Question

i have lived in my apartment for 16yrs and now my landlord wants a W-9 from me

Answer 1

It's unusually that a landlord would ask for this. You should ask him why he needs it, then check with the State Attorney's office to see if this is proper.

If the request is legit, the IRS website instructions for the W-9 can give you some insight. He may just want to do a background check "to protect himself" somehow.

Answer 2

What did your landlord say when you asked them?  Did you get a discount or payment for a referal?  Do they pay interest to your security deposit?

Unless it is for some major payment you received from your landlord, just check whether or not you are subject to manditory withholding, and also check the Exempt box if withholding is not manditory.