Our tenant referencing FAQs answer common questions from landlords and letting agents about tenant referencing, tenant credit checks, affordability assessments, tenant screening and guarantor referencing.

A comprehensive tenant referencing process can help landlords assess a prospective tenant’s identity, financial circumstances, affordability and rental history before deciding whether to grant a tenancy. A tenant credit check can also identify relevant adverse credit information that may need to be considered as part of the landlord’s overall assessment.

What is tenant referencing?

Tenant referencing is the process of checking information provided by a prospective tenant before a landlord or letting agent decides whether to grant a tenancy.

Depending on the service and the applicant’s circumstances, a tenant reference may include identity verification, credit history, County Court Judgment (CCJ) information, employment and income verification, affordability assessment, previous landlord references and address history.

Tenant referencing does not guarantee that a tenant will pay the rent or comply with their tenancy obligations. However, it provides landlords with useful information to help them make a more informed decision.

What is a tenant credit check?

A tenant credit check examines financial information relating to a prospective tenant and can identify adverse credit information that may be relevant to a landlord’s decision.

Tenant credit checks may identify matters such as County Court Judgments (CCJs), insolvency or other adverse financial information, depending on the information available and the type of check undertaken.

A tenant credit check should generally form part of a wider referencing process rather than being relied upon in isolation.

What does a tenant reference check include?

The checks undertaken will depend on the applicant and the information available, but a comprehensive tenant reference may include:

• Identity verification

• Credit history checks

• County Court Judgment (CCJ) checks

• Linked or previous address information

• Employment verification

• Income verification

• Affordability assessment

• Previous landlord reference

• Rental payment history where available

• Guarantor referencing where required

The purpose is to give the landlord or letting agent a broader picture of the applicant rather than relying solely on a credit score.

Why should landlords carry out tenant referencing?

Tenant referencing can help a landlord assess whether a prospective tenant appears able to afford the rent and whether information supplied in their tenancy application can be verified.

A professional tenant referencing service can also reduce the administrative work involved in contacting employers, checking financial information and obtaining previous landlord references.

No referencing system can predict exactly how a tenancy will perform, but appropriate pre-tenancy checks can help landlords make better-informed decisions before entering into a tenancy.

How do I obtain a tenant’s consent for referencing?

Landlords should ensure that prospective tenants understand what information will be collected and how it will be used.

You can use a suitable tenancy application or another appropriate document that obtains the applicant’s consent and provides the necessary data-protection information for the proposed checks.

As an additional safeguard, the referencing platform will also request the prospective tenant’s agreement to provide information required for the referencing process.

Landlords and letting agents should ensure that personal information is handled in accordance with applicable UK data-protection requirements.

Can I download free tenant reference templates?

Yes. The British Landlords Association provides a range of free pre-tenancy forms and templates that landlords can download and use.

These can assist with collecting relevant information from prospective tenants before progressing with the tenancy application and referencing process.

What information do I need to order a tenant reference?

Much of the detailed information required for the checks is obtained directly from the prospective tenant. This reduces the amount of administration required from the landlord.

When placing an order, you will generally need:

• The prospective tenant’s full name

• Telephone number

• Email address

• Address of the property to be let

• Proposed monthly or weekly rent

• Proposed deposit amount, where applicable

• Details of whether bills are included

• Guarantor’s name and contact details where a guarantor is proposed

The prospective tenant may then be asked directly for additional information required to complete the reference.

How do I order a tenant credit and reference report?

Ordering a report is straightforward.

Purchase the required credit and referencing report through our website. Following payment, you will be directed to the relevant form where you can enter the information required to start the referencing process.

The prospective tenant will then be contacted for the additional information and permissions required to carry out the checks.

How long does tenant referencing take?

Tenant referencing is often completed within approximately 24 hours, although the actual time can vary.

Completion will depend on factors including how quickly the prospective tenant supplies the requested information and how quickly employers, previous landlords or other referees respond.

For this reason, landlords should ideally begin the referencing process sufficiently early rather than waiting until immediately before the proposed tenancy start date.

Can I order a tenant credit check without full referencing?

Our service provides the credit and referencing elements together so that landlords receive a more comprehensive assessment of the prospective tenant.

A credit check alone may provide useful financial information, but it does not necessarily verify employment, income, affordability, identity or previous rental history.

Combining these checks can therefore provide a more complete picture of the applicant.

Will I receive a tenant credit score or referencing result?

The completed report provides information and an assessment to help you consider the prospective tenant’s application.

Landlords should read the complete report rather than relying solely on a score or individual result. A decision should take account of all relevant circumstances and should be made fairly and consistently.

A referencing result is an assessment based on the information available at the time; it is not a guarantee of the tenant’s future conduct or ability to pay rent.

What is tenant screening?

Tenant screening is the broader process used by landlords and letting agents to assess prospective tenants before granting a tenancy.

Tenant screening can include checking the applicant’s identity, income, employment, affordability, rental history and relevant financial information.

The process may also involve contacting a previous landlord to verify rental history and checking whether the information supplied by the applicant is consistent with other available information.

At the end of the tenant screening and referencing process, the landlord can consider the report alongside the tenancy application before deciding whether to proceed.

How are prospective tenants screened?

Some tenant background checks can be undertaken manually. For example, a landlord could contact an employer, request evidence of income and contact previous landlords individually.

However, conducting comprehensive financial and identity checks manually can be time-consuming.

Using a professional tenant screening and referencing service brings the relevant checks together and can significantly reduce the administrative burden on landlords and letting agents.

The British Landlords Association’s tenant referencing service is provided using Vouch’s referencing platform.

What is an affordability check for tenants?

A tenant affordability check considers whether the applicant’s financial circumstances appear sufficient to meet the proposed rental commitment.

This may involve considering declared or verified income in relation to the proposed rent and other relevant information.

Affordability is important because a prospective tenant may have an acceptable credit history but still have insufficient income to comfortably meet the rent being proposed.

It should therefore be considered alongside the tenant’s wider referencing results.

What happens if a tenant fails a credit check?

A failed tenant credit check does not necessarily mean that a landlord must automatically reject the applicant.

There can be several reasons for an adverse result, and landlords should consider the information contained in the complete referencing report.

Depending on the circumstances, a landlord might seek further information, request clarification regarding adverse credit information or consider whether an appropriate guarantor could provide additional financial security.

Landlords should apply their referencing criteria fairly and consistently and comply with applicable legal requirements when making decisions about prospective tenants.

What are CCJs and why are they relevant to tenant referencing?

A County Court Judgment (CCJ) may be registered when a person has failed to pay money that a court has determined they owe.

The existence of a CCJ can therefore be relevant when considering a prospective tenant’s financial history.

However, landlords should consider the circumstances rather than looking only at the existence of a CCJ. Factors such as the amount, age and whether the judgment has subsequently been satisfied may provide useful context.

Can a tenant provide their own credit report?

A prospective tenant may provide a copy of their own credit report. However, landlords should be cautious about relying solely upon documents supplied by an applicant.

A landlord may prefer to obtain an independent tenant reference through an established referencing service so that information can be gathered and verified through the appropriate process.

Where documents are supplied by the applicant, landlords should take reasonable steps to verify relevant original documents and ensure that the information being relied upon is genuine.

Do I need to credit check a guarantor?

If a guarantor is being relied upon to meet the tenant’s financial obligations if the tenant fails to do so, it is sensible to assess whether the proposed guarantor appears financially capable of meeting those obligations.

Guarantor referencing may therefore include identity, credit and affordability checks.

The guarantor should also be provided with the appropriate information about how their personal data will be processed and any necessary consent should be obtained.

Referencing a guarantor should not be treated as a substitute for properly documenting the guarantee itself.

What is guarantor referencing?

Guarantor referencing involves assessing a proposed guarantor before the landlord accepts them as financial security for a tenancy.

The process can include verifying the guarantor’s identity, financial circumstances, credit history and ability to meet the potential liability they are proposing to guarantee.

This is particularly important because a guarantor may potentially become responsible for substantial sums if the tenant defaults.

What is tenant creditworthiness?

Creditworthiness refers broadly to a person’s apparent ability and history of meeting financial commitments.

When assessing a prospective tenant’s creditworthiness, relevant factors can include income, existing financial commitments, adverse credit history and evidence concerning previous payment behaviour.

Creditworthiness is only one element of a comprehensive tenant reference. Landlords should consider it alongside affordability, identity, employment and rental-history information.

What can negatively affect a tenant’s credit history?

A prospective tenant may have adverse credit information for several reasons.

Examples can include missed payments, unpaid debts, County Court Judgments, insolvency and other financial difficulties.

An adverse credit history does not necessarily tell the landlord why the problem occurred or whether the applicant’s present financial circumstances have changed. The complete referencing report should therefore be considered rather than making a decision based upon one piece of information alone.

What is a previous landlord reference?

A previous landlord reference can provide information about an applicant’s earlier tenancy.

Depending on the questions asked and information available, it may help establish whether the applicant previously rented the stated property and provide relevant information about their rental history.

Previous landlord references are useful as part of wider tenant referencing, but landlords should not rely on them as the sole basis for deciding whether to grant a tenancy.

What if a prospective tenant has no previous landlord?

Not every prospective tenant will have a previous landlord. First-time renters, people who previously lived with family and former homeowners may have no conventional landlord reference available.

This does not automatically mean that the applicant is unsuitable.

Other elements of the tenant reference, such as identity, employment, income, affordability and credit information, can still assist the landlord in assessing the application.

Should landlords verify employment and income?

Employment and income information can be important when assessing whether the proposed rent appears affordable.

Where applicable, employment referencing can help verify information supplied by the prospective tenant about their employment and earnings.

Self-employed applicants may need to provide different evidence, and the appropriate information will depend upon their circumstances.

Should every applicant be referenced?

As a general risk-management practice, landlords should consider applying their tenant referencing criteria consistently to prospective tenants rather than carrying out checks selectively without a legitimate reason.

Where there will be more than one tenant, each applicant’s circumstances may need to be considered.

A consistent process can help landlords make more objective and properly documented tenancy decisions.

Is tenant referencing a guarantee that the rent will be paid?

No. Tenant referencing cannot guarantee that a tenant will always pay the rent or comply with the tenancy agreement.

Financial and personal circumstances can change after a tenancy begins.

The purpose of tenant referencing is to provide information available at the time of the application so that the landlord can make a more informed decision before granting the tenancy.

Is a tenant credit check the same as a Right to Rent check?

No. Tenant credit checks and Right to Rent checks serve different purposes.

A tenant credit check concerns financial and credit information. A Right to Rent check concerns the landlord’s statutory obligations regarding an adult occupier’s right to rent residential accommodation in England.

Landlords should therefore not assume that completing a tenant credit and reference report automatically satisfies all separate legal or compliance checks required before granting a tenancy.

Is tenant referencing the same as a tenancy application?

No. A tenancy application collects information from a prospective tenant, while tenant referencing involves checking or verifying relevant information supplied as part of that application.

The two processes often work together.

A properly completed tenancy application can provide the information and permissions required to begin the subsequent referencing process.

When should I carry out tenant referencing?

Tenant referencing should normally be undertaken before the landlord makes a final decision to grant the tenancy and before the tenant takes occupation.

Starting the process early allows time for the prospective tenant, employer, previous landlord and other relevant parties to respond to requests for information.

Landlords should also ensure that any other necessary pre-tenancy checks and legal requirements are completed at the appropriate time.

Why use the British Landlords Association tenant referencing service?

The British Landlords Association provides landlords and letting agents with access to a straightforward tenant referencing service designed to help assess prospective tenants before a tenancy is granted.

Our service brings together relevant tenant screening information, which can include credit, identity, affordability, employment and rental-history checks, depending on the applicant’s circumstances and information available.

Using a professional service can save landlords considerable time compared with attempting to conduct individual tenant background checks manually.

Order a Tenant Reference Report

Good tenant selection begins with appropriate pre-tenancy due diligence. Comprehensive referencing can help you assess the information available before deciding whether to grant a tenancy.

Order your tenant credit and reference report online and begin the referencing process for your prospective tenant.

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