Checking Tenant References

If you rent to the wrong type fo tenant then it is quite possible that this coudl result in extensive damage to your property, no rental income and a sizeable legal period over a period of over 6 months in order to evict the tenant. There is little you can do about the situation other than follow the eviction process once the tenant is in place. This is why it is vital to find out what the tenant is like before they move in.

Before you rent to a tenant you should check -

The tenant's identity - is the tenant actually who they say they are ? Ask to see a photo ID such as driving license or passport.

Previous landlords reference - you need to be sure that the tenant will look after the property. The best way to do this is to talk to their current/previous landlord. There is always a danger that the previous landlord is giving a good reference just to allow the tenant to leave and so it may also be worth talking to the landlord before last, especially if they haven't been at the current address for long.

However, if you choose not to use a letting agent then be prepared to have a lot of time wasted in finding tenants, be prepared to put in the time to find the correct way to deal with the unusual, awkward and complicated situations that will inevitable arise from time to time, and be prepared for the phone calls from tenants asking you to fix the toilet and inconvenient times.

When obtaining a landlord reference you should always check that the tenant lived where they claim. This can be done using the electoral role via a website such as www.192.com or perhaps ask to see a utility bill at the address that is in the name of your prospective tenant.

You should also check that the landlord you are getting the reference from is the actual landlord. Ideally you could get the name and address of the owner from the Land Registry and then find their phone number from the phone book or directory enquiries. Possibly you could rely on information on a ciopy of a previous tenancy agreement. This is much safer than calling a mobile number provided by the prospective tenant and coudl be for anybody.

However, if you choose not to use a letting agent then be prepared to have a lot of time wasted in finding tenants, be prepared to put in the time to find the correct way to deal with the unusual, awkward and complicated situations that will inevitable arise from time to time, and be prepared for the phone calls from tenants asking you to fix the toilet and inconvenient times.

Employment status - you need to make sure that the tenant is goign to be able to pay the rent. You should confirm that they work where they say they do. Don't simply dial a mobile phone number given by the tenant as this could be for anybody, find the company phone number and call that to ensure you are actually talking to somebody from the correct company.

Credit check - there are numerous firms that will check whether the tenant has any county court judgements against them whcih will indicate that they have failed to pay money due in the past.

If you are renting to a tenant who has a guarantor then it is worth checking that the guarantor is who they say they are, that they live where they say they do.