Help - Poor credit score potentially preventing renting a property...

schmeil1

Willing2Learn wrote: »

Just remember that a letting agent will neither see nor use your credit score. They will only see the data held in your credit file.

Do you mean the data that Blackpool_Saver referred to, i.e. only that data that is publicly available - CCJ's, Bankruptcy, etc.

Willing2Learn

I mean the data referred to in the link provided by Gary below:

!!! wrote: »

Lenders, letting agents... anyone that looks at your report apart from you.

For reference: https://www.checkmyfile.com/articles/2921/credit-check/what-landlords,-employers-and-lenders-see-on-your-credit-report.htm

That is in addition to the data referred to by Blackpool_Saver in their earlier post.

schmeil1

Thanks for all the replies

I feel somewhat reassured now that I have a much clearer understanding of exactly what Letting Agents are able to view with regard to my credit status.

Just have to find that perfect rental property now :cool2:

[Deleted User]

No one asked you to sign up and check your score.

Make sure you cancel that subscription so you don’t get charged.

schmeil1

!!! wrote: »

No one asked you to sign up and check your score.

Make sure you cancel that subscription so you don’t get charged.

Unfortunately I used up my '30 days free' a few years ago

I'll have to take a hit of one months payment (but I knew that ).
I'm happy to make one payment for the reassurance that it has given me (if only to prove that all these credit scores don't really mean very much at all... )

Thanks for the concern though :cool2:

[Deleted User]

You never need to pay or use free trials. Just check all three files through the free routes - MSE, Noddle and Clearscore.

You can always send a charitable donation if you still feel the need to pay something.

schmeil1

Deleted_User wrote: »

You never need to pay or use free trials. Just check all three files through the free routes - MSE, Noddle and Clearscore.

You can always send a charitable donation if you still feel the need to pay something.

Noddle is my preferred service (orignally suggested by my IFA) but it's been a stressful past 12 months and just as I was beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel the chat with the Letting Agent appeared to put a massive spanner in the works

Hopefully, though, things will continue to move forwards positively

[Deleted User]

You need to check all 3 of your credit files not just Noddle.

I hope you IFA didn’t give you any advice on monitoring and improving your score...

schmeil1

Once again, thanks for all the advice

I'm now all signed up for MSE Credit Club, Noddle and Clearscore

Hopefully that should cover it

:beer:

Blackpool_Saver

What can landlords see?
Landlords also routinely run checks on potential tenants but, unlike with lenders, the information available to them is purely public – this means that credit account history (credit cards/loans etc.), financial associations, and past credit applications will be hidden from them. These are called “soft-searches” and are used regularly by landlords, employers and insurance companies.

Why do they search my credit file?
Landlords want to know that the person they’re letting into their property is who they say they are; they can do this, which is corroborated by checking your Electoral Roll status at current and previous addresses lines up with what you’ve provided.

They will also check for Court information to gain an idea of whether there has been any serious issue in the past with reclaiming payments. As the landlord has no visibility of your previous credit agreements, this is the best insight they can get from your credit file as to into whether you have a seriously troubled repayment history. As a result, the presence of any court information can make a big difference to the outcome of your application.

Landlords will often ask for proof of income, in the form of a reference or payslip, as a means of assessing whether you are likely to be able to afford the monthly rent.