landlord reference check

wannabelondoner

Hi:

I am signing a contract for a new rental flat soon and i am wondering if a 400 pound overdraft default which has been paid back in full in one installment, will make me fail the reference check. i have a reference from my previous landlord where i stayed 7 years and always paid promptly( this is a cooperative so i own it, but its not in the uk i have been subletting on and off ie when i went to the uk to go to grad schoo and got this overdraft i forgot i even had)). i have proof of employment stating a 30k salary.

will i fail due to this technicality i assume reference check is the same thing as credit check as they want to see bank statements. although they never say credit check anywhere in the documents i got

catieeb06

If I remember rightly from my rental days- the landlords credit check can only see public information such as CCJ's and Bankruptcy.

I'm sure someone with a bit more knowledge of the rental market will come along soon but if I am right then you have nothing to worry about.

[Deleted User]

1) Google 'free credit check'.
2) Check your report on one of the sites listed. You may have to register and sign up, but once u have done that most will give u a free month which is plenty of time to check your report, and then cancel any monthly payment.

Then u will know what the lettings agency/landlord will see when they credit check you (I think Experien and Equifax are the main companies). Its 99.9% certain they will as part of their referencing procedure. I did the same before starting going to letting agencies (altho I did in the end rent directly from a landlord, he credit checked me and it was very constructive for me to be able to tell him exactly what he'd find on the report).

Its free as long as u cancel within the first month.., and u will then know where u stand. The credit report will give any bad debts, repayment agreements, credit history, bank assessment and so on. All you have to do is check it lol! I doubt it will be as bad as u think from what u say.., but its worth checking in case there is anything u don't know about on there.

clutton_2

its experian by the way

wannabelondoner

I know that here is something on my credit file as metropolitan told me when I settled the debt. but they said it would be marked as satisfied. That is the only bad thing on my file infact its the only thing threre cause i have never taken any credit or had any bills in my own name. does anyone know if catiee06 is right? that they can only see bankruptcies and ccj's? i looked at some of these tenantref sites at it seems to me that the only show bankruptcies and CCJ's. I can do a credit report as i have no UK bank account as i cant prove my adress yet.

clutton_2

having no information on file (no address, bank account etc) can be almost as damaging as having lots of CCJS.......