Any way to avoid high credit check fees?

mall83

Hello,

I will soon be moving in with my boyfriend and a lot of the local rental agents charge £100-£150 to perform a credit check. When I first began renting 10 years ago there was no fee for this so it seems to be another way for estate agents to make money, a landlord has said in another thread I've read that it only costs him £8 to get a credit check. I do not have poor credit so I am not worried about failing it, I just don't like the idea of ripped off and could spend the money on furnishings.

A colleague has suggested paying to get an Experian credit report or supplying my last three months bank statements as proof of earning but I am unsure whether these would be acceptable. Also, if I was to provide these are they legally allowed to refuse them and force me into getting a very expensive credit check?

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

Werdnal

Most Agents would insist on your getting checks done through them as part of your application; you can refuse, but they can refuse to let to you if you don't. Whilst I don't condone the high fees, they have overheads to pay which a LL doing their own check does not, so they will naturally want to recover the cost of someone in their office "performing" the check as well as the charge for the check itself. Actually the fees you quoted are reasonable, as seen much higher mentioned here.

Your only other option would be to find a private LL and cut out the agent. Whilst I personally would do a far more involved check than the £8 one you quoted, I don't actually charge my tenants for the check unless they fail - they get the fee back off their first month's rent!

jjlandlord

Only option is to rent through a landlord/letting agent who do not high credit check fees...

Imo, landlords who do not use agents at all (ie. who source their tenants themselves) are the most likely not to charge for credit checks, or to charge reasonably.

Landlords/agents can obviously refuse to accept any document you may provide as they are free to decide who to rent to and how to select (within the bounds of anti-discrimination laws of course).

whalster

It is something that needs regulation in England and Wales , as with the 2 landlords above I only charge £20 per person £8 is for the check and the other is for my bit of time checking out the other bits and pieces , we can do this cos we are saving a minimum of 10% a month which a letting agent wouldbe charging us .
A letting agent should realy only be charging the 10% all this tenant admin fee landlord finder fee credit check fee holding fee etc should be outlawed .
As I have said before its like me wanting a tin of lets say beans in tesco asking what isle they are on and being charged a finders fee as well as then paying for them at the checkout lets say tenants are the product they are being charged for every month in the percentage charge from the agent , you wouldnot expect to pay twice at tesco , why then at letting co
I would look on gumtree or in the local press or the listings from the online letting agents , find yourself a private landlord you will be much better off

mall83

Thanks all for replying and providing some helpful tips. I think I'll have to work a bit harder at finding a private landlord, letting agents seem to have a bit of property monopoly in Sheffield.

Might look at getting into this letting agent lark, it seems quite lucrative...

Thanks again for your help!

property.advert

My experience is that landlords don't bother to acquaint themselves with the charges a tenant has to suffer when they perhaps should.

I told Hamptons on on rental that they could reference me but that I would not pay for them to reference my other half nor the budgie, dog or 6 month old baby.

jen_br

Whats funny is in scotland its not allowed to happen - yet they still charge it then you have to try and claim it back!

Experian_company_representative

Landlords and LAs are only allowed to access public data from the CRAs too, so much less detail than the report you would get from us direct.

James Jones