Tenant referencing question

pph

Hi msexperts,

I have just had the reference report back from https://homelet.co.uk

The tenants have passed homelet's referencing procedure.

I was quite surprised that their income had only been verified by reports provided by the tenants' accountant based on just one year's salary. If audited earnings have been provided by an accountant I guess they aren't PAYE FTEs(?) and therefore maybe more than a year's worth of accounts should be provided? I would say two years should be standard if self-employed?

Also, the previous LL reference is 1 year too, this seems ok but interested in the mse family's opinion on this too.

Thanks!

camptownraces

Presumably you've got copies of the references. If not, ask for them and don't take "Data Protection" as an excuse.

Be certain that the person claiming to be an accountant really is a qualified and practising accountant. Then check with a phone call to the registered address that this person really did write the reference, and ask whether two years accounts could have been scrutinised.

You need a reference from the landlord BEFORE the current one. It's very easy to give a "good" reference to tenants that the landlord wants to leave.

Then you should phone the landlord to find out if he/she is who they claim to be (you'd hope to get a landline number for this).

[Deleted User]

You could ask the prospective tenants for bank statements for two years, look on social media etc if you want to investigate further. You could also go and visit them in their present property as a check they look after what they live in.

DaftyDuck

I have never held too much faith in financial records going back X years. People can lose a job, even a good, long-held job in an instant.

Having a good income (or rather, having a low income) is no indication they will look after the property or pay the rent (no indication they will trash the place and get in arrears).

Seek an overall balance.

pph

Sage advice as ever. Keep it coming! Cheers!

Guest101

What are your actual concerns?

Cakeguts

Are these tenants the only ones who have shown interest in renting your property?

aneary

pph wrote: »

Hi msexperts,

I have just had the reference report back from https://homelet.co.uk

The tenants have passed homelet's referencing procedure.

I was quite surprised that their income had only been verified by reports provided by the tenants' accountant based on just one year's salary. If audited earnings have been provided by an accountant I guess they aren't PAYE FTEs(?) and therefore maybe more than a year's worth of accounts should be provided? I would say two years should be standard if self-employed?

Also, the previous LL reference is 1 year too, this seems ok but interested in the mse family's opinion on this too.

Thanks!

If I was the tenant and I'd passed the professional letting procedure and the LL then asked for further information I would be slightly annoyed.

Last year I moved from London to Portsmouth I hadn't been in my new job for a month yet passed the checks. There is no more risk for a self employed person than an employed person I could lose my job with a month notice as could most tenants.