{"id":814,"date":"2025-07-28T14:59:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T13:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/advice-dev.rm.posiweb.net\/?p=814"},"modified":"2025-08-27T11:11:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T10:11:22","slug":"tenant-referencing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rightmove.co.uk\/guides\/landlord\/finding-a-tenant\/tenant-referencing\/","title":{"rendered":"Tenant referencing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ending up with a tenant who doesn\u2019t pay their rent is every landlord\u2019s worst nightmare. Following a few easy steps before you take on a tenant could minimise that risk and save you a lot of time, stress and money in the long run.&nbsp; If you use a lettings agent, they will do all of this for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"meet-your-prospective-tenant-or-chat-with-them-by-phone\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet your prospective tenant or chat with them by phone:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask them why they\u2019re moving, how long they want to rent for, who will be living in the property and what they do for a living.&nbsp; You\u2019ll be able to build up a picture of who they are and whether they\u2019re the kind of tenant you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"take-up-references\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Take up references:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You need to know your tenant will be able to pay the monthly rent and has a track record as a responsible tenant.&nbsp; Always ask your tenant\u2019s permission before taking up references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask them for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Proof of identify and current address \u2013utility bills\/bank statements will confirm their current address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A work reference \u2013 their employer will be able to verify how much they earn and their length\/terms of employment. Make sure it\u2019s recent and on proper letterhead<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Landlord references \u2013 it\u2019s a good idea to ask for references from at least one previous landlord<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"run-a-credit-check\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Run a credit check:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A credit check will help you assess whether the tenant can afford to rent the property and has a good credit history. If you don\u2019t want to go down the credit check route, seeing your tenant\u2019s last 3-6 months\u2019 bank statements will give you an idea of their ability to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"right-to-rent-check-obligatory\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Right to rent check (obligatory):<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You as a landlord have a legal obligation to carry out Right to Rent checks on all adults (aged 18+) who are planning to live in your property.&nbsp; This is regardless of what you believe their nationality to be and must include everybody who will live in the property even if they aren\u2019t named on a tenancy agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this you\u2019ll need to see your tenant\u2019s relevant documentation in person and retain copies.&nbsp; Relevant documentation could include a passport\/ID card, driver\u2019s licence, a letter from higher education establishment and\/or a birth certificate.&nbsp; The full list of eligible documents can be found on the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/497242\/Right_to_Rent_Document_Checks_-_a_User_Guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&nbsp;Government\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"after-your-tenants-have-moved-in\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">After your tenants have moved in:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Arrange to visit the property within a few weeks of the start of the tenancy to check your tenants are the people you\u2019ve rented it to and that they are looking after the place.&nbsp; Give your tenants notice that you intend to do this, don\u2019t just drop in unannounced.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ending up with a tenant who doesn\u2019t pay their rent is every landlord\u2019s worst nightmare. Following a few easy steps before you take on a tenant could minimise that risk and save you a lot of time, stress and money in the long run.&nbsp; If you use a lettings agent, they will do all of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":6083,"parent":1266,"menu_order":73,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-814","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"author_profile":[]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tenant referencing | Rightmove Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Take a look at the things to consider if you&#039;re going to be carrying out tenant referencing, including landlords&#039; legal obligations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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