Tenant Reference Requests UK: Landlord Checks Guide

What this document is

Tenant reference request forms are short written enquiries a landlord or letting agent sends to people and organisations who can verify information about a prospective tenant or their guarantor. The most common recipients are a previous landlord, the applicant's employer, their bank, and sometimes a personal referee.

Each request asks targeted questions: has the rent been paid on time, is the tenant still in stable employment, does their income support the rent, and has their conduct as an occupier been acceptable. Taken together, the responses give the landlord a picture of financial capacity and reliability before a legal commitment is made.

In England and Wales, most private lets are granted as assured shorthold tenancies, and referencing is usually completed before the tenancy agreement is signed and any holding deposit converts into a first month's rent. Because the Tenant Fees Act 2019 prohibits landlords and agents from charging tenants for referencing as a condition of the tenancy, the cost of running these checks generally falls on the landlord or agent, not the applicant.

How to use this document

1. Collect the applicant's details. Before sending any reference requests, gather full name, current and previous addresses covering at least the last three years, date of birth, employer details, bank details for verification, and contact information for a previous landlord. You will also need written consent from the applicant to approach these third parties.
2. Send the previous landlord reference request. Write to the most recent private landlord asking whether rent was paid on time, whether the deposit was returned in full, whether the property was kept in reasonable condition, and whether they would let to the tenant again. Treat glowing references from family members or friends posing as landlords with caution.
3. Request an employer reference. Contact the applicant's employer to confirm job title, length of service, whether the role is permanent or fixed term, and annual salary. A common affordability benchmark used in the industry is that gross annual income should be roughly thirty times the monthly rent, though this is a guideline rather than a legal rule.
4. Run a bank reference and credit check. Ask the applicant's bank to confirm account details and comment on whether the account is conducted satisfactorily. Most landlords also run a credit check through a referencing provider to pick up county court judgments, bankruptcies, or individual voluntary arrangements that might affect the tenant's ability to pay.
5. Assess the guarantor if one is needed. Where the tenant's income or credit profile falls short, a guarantor may be required. The same checks apply: identity, employment or income, bank details, and credit history. The guarantor should receive independent information about what they are signing up to before the guarantee agreement is executed.

Common questions