References and Guarantors

All prospective tenants are thoroughly referenced and credit checked. In some cases, we also request a guarantor. If a guarantor is required, they must be UK based, hold a UK bank account, be in full time employment or receive a pension and must be prepared to sign a guarantor’s agreement. 

Once a suitable property has been found,  an offer letter will be issued confirmation that the Landlord has accepted your application to rent their property. This letter will be accompanied with an invoice detailing all the monies  which will need to be paid before the start of the tenancy.

Before background checks are conducted, you will be require to pay an administration. This fee is non refundable should your application be un successful or offer  to rent withdrawn. This money does not constitute a tenancy or offer of the tenancy.

Once payment has been received a request for  full background check of all persons aged 18+ will be submitted to our Referencing Team. The references are conducted by an external credit referencing company we work in partnership with.

Information obtained in references include:  

• Affordability    

          This is the ratio of the applicant's monthly rental amount and their monthly gross income                     expressed as a percentage. The higher the percentage, the more difficult it can be for an                   applicant to pay their rent as well as other living expenses. 

• Risk Information 

          This provides an overall risk score based on the applicant's credit profile. Scores above 47                 are generally regarded as acceptable whilst scores less than 47 are generally regarded as                 insufficient. If No Score has been returned this means we have been unable to locate the                   applicant on the credit bureau, and as such do not have sufficient information about this                     applicant to form any definite opinion as to their financial strength. 

• Linked address, identity and fraud information

          This provides an indication as to whether there is anything suspicious about information that                the applicant has given. It is an indicator of potential concealment or possible fraud and it is            very important in these cases that the applicant's identity is carefully checked before                          granting tenancy. 

• Voters roll information

          This confirms whether the applicant has been found on the voters roll. Voters roll                                 information is used to help verify an applicant's identity. If the applicant is not on the voters                 roll it is recommended that you carefully verify the applicant's identity. 

• Public information held

          This shows up any adverse information such as bankruptcies, voluntary arrangements and                 county court judgements (CCJs) that have been linked based on the information provided by             the applicant. These may be picked up on the applicant's current address or other linked                     addresses that appear in their credit profile.

• Previous landlord's reference (if applicable)

          This information is available on Comprehensive References only. This shows the previous            landlord's opinion of the applicant's conduct in terms of paying rent and dilapidations. If the                applicant has not rented before, this section will not be completed. Please note that this                      section is based solely on the opinion of the previous landlord.

• Employers / income reference

          This information is available on Comprehensive references only. This section shows that we               have validated the applicant's income. Income may be verified from their employer,                             accountant, pension fund or receivable benefits. The affordability calculation will be based                 on the confirmed income ensuring that the most accurate rating is provided.

In addition to the above we will require proof of address and a photo ID, one of the following forms of identification can be accepted:

Proof of address

• Utility Bill (less than three months old)
• Bank statement (less than three months old)
• Credit card bill (less than three months old)
• Council Tax Bill

Photo ID

• Full Driving Licence
• Passport