How to Pass Tenant Referencing Checks

What does tenant referencing involve?

Tenant referencing is a background check that landlords or their agents run on prospective tenants before agreeing to a tenancy. It's carried out by a third-party referencing company — the most common in the UK include Homelet, Goodlord, OpenRent, Rightmove Referencing, and Vouch.

The process typically starts after you've viewed a property and agreed to rent it. You'll pay a holding deposit of up to one week's rent under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, then the referencing company will contact you to gather information and run checks.

The whole process usually takes two to five working days, though delays are common — usually because a referee such as a previous landlord or employer hasn't responded. Giving your referees advance notice is one of the simplest ways to speed things up.

The five checks landlords run

First is identity verification, confirming you are who you say you are. You'll need photo ID such as a passport or driving licence and proof of your current address. Some referencing companies use digital ID verification where you photograph your ID and take a selfie.

Second is the credit check. The referencing company checks your credit report with one or more of the three UK credit reference agencies. They're looking for CCJs, defaults, IVAs, bankruptcies, missed payments, and your overall debt level. This is usually a soft search that won't affect your credit score.

Third is employment and income verification. The referencing company contacts your employer to verify your job title, salary, and length of employment. They're checking that you can afford the rent, typically requiring income of at least 2.5 times the annual rent. If you're self-employed, you'll need SA302 tax calculations, an accountant's reference, or bank statements showing income.

Fourth is the previous landlord reference. Your previous landlord is contacted to confirm you paid rent on time, looked after the property, and didn't cause issues. This is often the part that causes the most delays, as landlords are not obliged to respond and many don't.

Fifth is the Right to Rent check. Under the Immigration Act 2014, landlords in England must verify that tenants have the right to rent in the UK. You'll need a valid passport, visa, biometric residence permit, or other acceptable document. EU citizens with settled or pre-settled status can prove their right to rent via the GOV.UK online service.

Common reasons people fail referencing

Credit issues are the number one reason for referencing failures. CCJs, defaults, high debt, or thin credit history are all flagged. Many people don't even know they have a CCJ on their file until referencing uncovers it.

Income below the threshold catches many people, especially in expensive areas. The standard requirement is annual income of at least 2.5 times the annual rent. In London, where a one-bedroom flat can easily cost £1,800 per month, you'd need to earn over £54,000 to pass the affordability check on income alone.

A previous landlord not responding is common and delays the process. This isn't a failure in the same way, but it can cause the landlord to move on to another applicant. Employment discrepancies — where dates or salary you provided don't match what your employer confirms — also raise concerns. Even small discrepancies can flag issues, so always be accurate.

Not being on the electoral roll makes identity verification harder and weakens your credit profile. Recent multiple addresses can flag you as higher risk, especially if the referencing company can't trace you at all addresses.

Never lie on a referencing application. If you provide false or misleading information and the landlord discovers it, they can keep your holding deposit, void the tenancy agreement, and in serious cases take legal action. Honesty with an explanation is always better.

How to prepare: the pre-application checklist

The best time to prepare for referencing is before you start viewing properties. Check your credit report with all three agencies and look for errors, unknown accounts, and surprises. Dispute anything incorrect. Register on the electoral roll at your current address if you haven't already.

Calculate your affordability by dividing your annual income by 2.5 — that gives you roughly the maximum annual rent you can afford for referencing purposes. Divide by 12 for your maximum monthly rent. If you're a couple applying jointly, most referencing companies will combine your incomes.

Alert your referees. Tell your employer and previous landlord that a referencing company will contact them. Give them a heads-up about the timeline. The single biggest cause of referencing delays is referees not responding — a personal message can prevent this.

Gather your documents and have these ready before you apply: passport or driving licence, three months of payslips or your employment contract, three months of bank statements, proof of current address, your previous landlord's contact details, and your employer's HR contact details. If you're self-employed, prepare your SA302, an accountant's letter, and business bank statements.

Creating a folder with all documents ready to go means you can submit everything immediately when you find a property you want. In a competitive market, speed matters.

What if you fail one part of referencing?

Referencing rarely comes back as a simple pass or fail. More commonly, the referencing company gives the landlord a detailed report showing which checks passed and which didn't. An acceptable result on all checks is the ideal outcome. Acceptable with conditions means one or more checks raised concerns but the overall picture is reasonable — the landlord may ask for a guarantor or advance rent.

Not acceptable on one check, typically the credit check, means the landlord decides whether to proceed with conditions or reject. Unable to verify means a referee didn't respond, and the landlord may extend the deadline or ask for alternative evidence.

The key point is that the landlord always makes the final decision. Referencing companies advise; they don't decide. A landlord who's met you, liked you, and wants you as their tenant may overlook a credit issue — especially if you can offer a guarantor, advance rent, or additional evidence of reliability.

If you're told you've failed part of referencing, don't assume it's over. Contact the landlord or agent directly, explain the situation, and offer solutions. Proactive tenants who present solutions are generally more likely to succeed than those who wait passively.

Strengthening your application beyond referencing

Standard referencing is reactive — the landlord runs checks on you. You can flip this by proactively providing verified information to the landlord before referencing even starts.

Prepare a tenant profile that includes verified identity, confirmed income and employment, professional references, and any rental history you can document. Sharing this alongside your application gives the landlord verified information immediately, which speeds up the process and builds confidence.

A tenant who arrives with pre-verified documentation signals organisation, reliability, and nothing to hide. In a competitive market, that can be the difference between getting the property and losing it to another applicant.

If your credit is the weak point, make everything else as strong as possible. Strong employer references, evidence of savings, bank statements showing consistent rent payments — all of these give the landlord reasons to say yes despite a less-than-perfect credit check.

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