In short: A good tenant is found through solid marketing (clear listing, realistic rent, prompt viewings) and confirmed through layered referencing: mandatory Right to Rent checks, credit checks, income/affordability verification (aim for gross annual income around 30x the monthly rent), employer and previous landlord references, and identity/address checks, usually bundled through a referencing agency like Goodlord, HomeLet, Rent4Sure or Vouch. No single check is bulletproof; it’s the combination, and how the applicant behaves during the process, that tells you the real story.
Start with the marketing, not the application
Good tenants are attracted, not just filtered. Before you get to referencing:
- Price it realistically. Overpricing extends void periods and often means you end up accepting a weaker applicant out of desperation. Check Rightmove/Zoopla sold-and-let comparables in your postcode.
- Photograph and describe honestly. Wide-angle, well-lit photos and an accurate EPC, council tax band, and bills-included/excluded breakdown reduce time-wasting enquiries and no-shows.
- Respond fast. The best applicants often have multiple options; a slow reply loses them to a quicker landlord or agent.
- Screen at enquiry stage. A short pre-viewing questionnaire (move-in date, household size, pets, income range, reason for moving) filters out clearly unsuitable applicants before you spend time on viewings.
The core referencing checklist
Once you have an applicant you like, formal referencing is where you protect yourself. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (in force from 1 May 2026), you can still run full referencing and affordability checks, the Act only restricts using checks as a pretext to screen out benefits claimants or families with children (see our guide to renting to tenants on benefits). The checks themselves remain standard practice:
1. Right to Rent check, legally mandatory Every landlord in England must verify every adult occupier’s immigration status before the tenancy starts, using the Home Office online checking service, digital identity verification (IDVT), or share codes for non-British/Irish nationals. This is not optional and is not something you can skip for a tenant who “seems fine”, penalties run up to £10,000 per lodger/occupier for a first breach and £20,000 for repeat breaches within three years, with unlimited fines or up to five years’ imprisonment for knowingly letting to someone without the right to rent. Keep dated copies of everything for the length of the tenancy plus 12 months.
2. Credit check Looks for County Court Judgments (CCJs), defaults, bankruptcy/IVAs, and existing debt levels. A thin credit file (common for young tenants or recent arrivals to the UK) isn’t automatically bad, it just means you lean more on other checks or a guarantor.
3. Income and affordability verification The industry rule of thumb is that gross annual household income should be roughly 30x the monthly rent (e.g., £2,400/month rent needs about £28,800–£30,000/year household income). This is checked via payslips, an employer’s reference, bank statements, or an accountant’s reference for the self-employed. If income falls short, a guarantor earning around 36–50x monthly rent (referencing agencies vary) can bridge the gap.
4. Employment/income confirmation A direct reference from the employer (or an automated one via services like Experian’s employment-check tools) confirming job title, salary, contract type (permanent vs probationary/zero-hours) and length of service. Watch for anyone reluctant to give a real HR contact.
5. Previous landlord reference Ask the current or most recent landlord (not just any landlord, request at least two years’ history where possible) about rent payment punctuality, property condition, notice given, and whether they’d re-let to the tenant. Be wary if an applicant only offers a landlord from several tenancies ago, or none at all.
6. Identity and address history Passport/driving licence plus proof of address (utility bill, bank statement) to confirm the person is who they say they are and to cross-check against the credit file.
Using a referencing agency
Most landlords, even small ones, outsource this to a referencing platform rather than doing it manually, because these services combine credit bureau data, employer/landlord reference chasing, Right to Rent digital checks, and fraud detection in one workflow, often for £20–£40 per tenant. Common providers include Goodlord, HomeLet, Rent4Sure, Vouch, Homeppl and Reposit. They typically issue a pass/fail/pass-with-guarantor recommendation, though the final letting decision is always yours.
Red flags to watch for
- Reluctance to provide a previous landlord’s contact details, or only offering a friend/family member as a “landlord”
- Payslips or bank statements that look edited, inconsistent, or have mismatched dates/employers
- Pressure to skip referencing or move in immediately, especially paired with an offer of extra cash upfront (see our guide to rent in advance rules on why large advance payments are now legally restricted anyway)
- A credit file with recent CCJs specifically related to rent or utility arrears
- Vague or shifting answers about why they’re leaving their current address
- Multiple recent house moves in a short period without a clear explanation
No check is perfect, and reasonable people can have a messy financial history for reasons unrelated to how they’ll treat your property. The goal of referencing isn’t to find a “perfect” tenant, it’s to gather enough consistent, verifiable evidence that the tenancy is affordable and the person is who they say they are, while applying the same standard to every applicant so you stay on the right side of discrimination law.
Related reading
Sources
- Landlord’s guide to right to rent checks, GOV.UK
- Tenant Fees Act 2019: guidance for landlords and agents, GOV.UK
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules referenced are accurate to the best of available information as of July 2026 for England unless stated otherwise. Always check current government guidance (gov.uk) or consult a solicitor for your specific situation.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026