All you need to know about references and credit checks to rent a home in the UK

​​The below checks happen in order for the letting agent to make sure that you can afford the rent and that you are a reliable person that pays their bills.

Checks that a landlord or letting agent will do before they can accept you as a tenant are (for UK nationals)

• Reference checks with your current landlord and employer to show proof of character.

• Proof of income checks, these can be either payslips or three months of bank statements.

• Proof of identity checks by asking to see your passport or driving license.

• A credit check with an independent credit reference agency such as Experian or Equifax.

Checks that a landlord or letting agent will be legally obligated to do before they can accept you as a tenant are (for non UK nationals):

• Proof of identification, including a passport or national identity card and valid visa (if applicable)

• Original documents that prove your immigration status, such as a passport or biometric residence permit with unlimited leave

• Details of your employment (if available)

• Details of your expected earnings (if available)

• Character references

Low credit score?

If you are reading this and you are wondering ‘what if I have a low credit score?’. Well, you are not alone. There are a lot of people who are either students, relocating from another country or are renting for the first time which can result in a low credit score.

Here are a couple of ways of getting past this hurdle and showing to your letting agent that you can afford to pay the rent:

• Be completely open about your credit history

• Pay more in advance

• Get a positive referral from a past landlord

• Use a guarantor

Let's explore these in a bit more depth.

Be completely open about your credit history

Sometimes it may be the case where your credit score will not reflect your true ability to pay your rent on time. Since you are dealing with people, honesty can go a long way, where a letting agent or landlord can understand your situation and look past your low credit score.

Pay more in advance

This is common practice for students and in places like London where the competition amongst tenants for rental properties is so fierce that people are willing to pay a lot more in advance just to secure the property. Of course landlords love this since they get more of the money upfront and thus overlook your low credit score.

Get a positive referral from a previous landlord

If you have been lucky enough to have had a great rental history you can use that to your advantage. Previous landlords can confirm that you can pay your rent on time and thus can be enough for your future landlord to overlook your low credit score.

Use a guarantor

Another common practice amongst students, guarantors are a great solution. They can be family members or friends with good credit scores who can help you out. They will basically vouch for you and agree to pay the rent if anything goes wrong throughout your tenancy. Your guarantor will need to pass the credit check themselves and thus will need to:

• Be employed and make enough to cover your rent

• Be able to pay the rent

• Sign to agree to their legal obligations as your guarantor