Homelet credit checking for tenants

almamatters1985

Hello,

I need a bit of clarification as to what exactly tenant referencing companies (I presume we'll be Homeleted!) can see on a credit report. From what I've read they can only see publicly available information (so a CCJ or bankruptcy) but when looking on Homelet's website they say they can also check "Undisclosed credit history which is linked to their current and most recent homes" - what is that? I've emailed to ask them what this means precisely but I doubt I'll get a swift reply. I've also seen some tenant referencing companies advertise that they can show landlords 6 years of credit history, defaults and missed payments - is this true?

Thanks in advance for any information

Tixy

No rental agencies cannot see private information such as your credit account history etc. They do only see public information.

Apparently some agencies sometimes ask potential tenants to supply a copy of their own credit report - in my opinion this would be a very foolish thing to do (regardless of what their file shows).

Some rental agencies certainly imply that they can access/show landlords more information but they cannot (they are possibly trying to justify the size of the fees they charge!). They potentially could see payment history relating to past rentals - but in practice this is very unlikely yet as this is only a recent development, is only likely to be taken up by large agencies/landlords and could only be done after seeking permission from the tenant.

Confirmation on this link http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/questions/askjames221.html

almamatters1985

Thanks for getting back to me and answering my question so definitively! The amount of gumpf on the internet is always annoying!

I think I've resigned myself to needing a guarantor as I checked my credit score with Call Credit (the credit agency that Homelet use) and it was 506. Homelet decline if you're below 545.

I'll update as and when I get my results!

happy_bunny_2

They should not be allowed to calculate a score based on anything other than public records to use with renting.

Scores are meaningless.

almamatters1985

I passed!! With a "very high score" (which just tells me how little Homelet can see!)

So for anyone else stressing out over a LA / LL credit check I can absolutely clarify that if you DO NOT HAVE A CCJ/IVA/BANKRUPTCY YOU WILL PASS!

If you have any of these things you just need to tell them that you do.

Their "credit score" is NOT your actual credit score. Its a score that they create using ONLY the information that they can see (publicly available information) AND NOTHING ELSE!

Phew! What a wasted week of stress! Apologies for the overenthusiastic caps locking!

Brightspark87

yay happy to see this Great news! I want to think about moving in February and this makes sense.

jadex91

What if my partner has two cleared and paid ccjs from 2012 with certificates?

happy_bunny_2

Jadex91 wrote: »

What if my partner has two cleared and paid ccjs from 2012 with certificates?

If they are checking your partner and they are on their credit file then they will show up.

Best be up front about those.

No idea what it will mean in relation to any calculated score.

JasX

SlitheryElf wrote: »

"Undisclosed credit history which is linked to their current and most recent homes"

I have my own suspicion there -> actually it's perfectly straightforward with the inflated fees they charge to be checking

"undisclosed credit history related to your most recent home"

reworded slightly this might involve them:

"phoning up your most recent landlord, saying they're checking references and ask if you paid your rent reliably"

undisclosed-> yes, related to your most recent home -> yes

how much were their fees again ;p

almamatters1985

Hi JasX!

Thank you for the clarification about the "undisclosed" bit. It does make sense that they would re-word something so banal into something that sounds very important and serious!!

(We paid £300 for referencing! I know, I know... )

thomathy

For some properties, it may not matter as much as you think.

Try asking the agent to put forward your offer anyway, and say that you are happy to discuss your financial circumstances with the landlord if necessary.

I have had tenants like this and they were able to show that despite poor credit, they had a good record of paying their rent. I don't think this is uncommon. I was happy to take them. I am less sure what I would say if rent was often late. But even then it could depend on circumstance.

Agents are keen to suggest that their checks are the be-all and end-all. But often in Britain, your landlord is an individual and not a large organisation and may have their own opinions.