Renting with no references and no credit history?

Experian_company_representative

Credit data is only visible to lenders and collectors. Landlords can conduct only basic CRA checks that reveal only public records such as court judgments and insolvencies. So your personal credit history information, or lack of it, cannot affect your chances of renting a home.

James Jones

monstermuncher

Does that mean they can't access your score either?

I'm currently having to sub let from a friend, and I'm so worried in case I end up losing my job or being ill (no sick pay at my job) because the tenancy is all in her name. I have defaults (meltdown a year ago) but no CCJs. I was under the impression I'd never get anywhere trying to rent.

Also, the previous place I rented had told us that the previous applicants for that property had been rejected as they owed a lot of money to a previous landlord and hadn't disclosed it. How could the letting agent have discovered that?

missrlr

monstermuncher - as a landlord I ask for the current and previous landlord's contact info and I ask those people:
would you rent to them again
do they owe you money and if so is this rent arrears or damage or both
was there damage when they moved out
were there complaints

So if the LL has asked these questions they can reject a tenant even if there are no debts in the credit report, as sometimes the debts incurred by a LL will be too new for a credit check to have this information in it.

cottonhead

When I first rented they just wanted a reference from my employer and the deposit and that was it.

orangeslimes

Speak to the letting agents - explain about living at parents and ask what they will accept as an alternative reference - I am sure it is not unheard of. I doubt the credit check is an issue unless there is anything bad on it. Having a job is probably the main thing they will look for (Some look for things like wages of 3x the rent).