"Previous landlords" refers to the individuals or companies that owned or managed a property before the current owner or manager. They are the people that tenants rented from in the past. Full definition
Tell potential landlords about your good credit and / or good rental history at your initial introduction, and provide references from previous landlords if possible. (americanhumane.org)
Contact previous landlord, ask verifying questions and get an idea about what kind of tenants the applicants were. (investingarchitect.com)
Your lender will also want to know about previous landlord experience you've had, or any experience with property maintenance or renting. (themortgagereports.com)