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

[Deleted User]

Experian offer "Comprehensive Tenant Checks" to landlords and letting agents.

https://www.experian.co.uk/background-checking/comprehensive-tenant-check.html

Experian collates data from several sources and then gives you a "tenant risk score" which is not the same as the [STRIKE]credit score[/STRIKE] marketing tool you see if you login to Experian or MSE Credit Club.

Part of Experian's checks include searching your public credit files, which as others have said include CCJ and insolvency, but that's it. The rest of your "tenant risk score" is made up of references and identity check. Something in that data is showing that you are riskier than the average tenant.

schmeil1

Lover_of_Lycra wrote: »

Experian offer "Comprehensive Tenant Checks" to landlords and letting agents.

https://www.experian.co.uk/background-checking/comprehensive-tenant-check.html

Experian collates data from several sources and then gives you a "tenant risk score" which is not the same as the [STRIKE]credit score[/STRIKE] marketing tool you see if you login to Experian or MSE Credit Club.

Part of Experian's checks include searching your public credit files, which as others have said include CCJ and insolvency, but that's it. The rest of your "tenant risk score" is made up of references and identity check. Something in that data is showing that you are riskier than the average tenant.

Thanks for this. I can now see an example of what the Lettings Agent can see and I understand why the Agent I spoke to referred to it as a 'traffic light'

At present I haven't actually applied for a tenancy and so this kind of report has not yet been run for my circumstances. I was merely going on the advice that I was given by the Letting Agent and then applying that advice to the " [STRIKE]credit score[/STRIKE] marketing tool " that I can see, not realising that they were totally different things. Of the items that will show on the Lettings Agent report, everything that relates to my current situation will hopefully show me in a positive light

mattymc13

I have read this thread thoroughly, so why is it I am reading agents now use referencing agencies that can access full credit reports, including credit score?

From my tenant check application form...

“• Performing a credit search by a third party agency (our current partner is TransUnion and their Privacy Notice is located here here). The credit search will return my full credit report including credit score and details of any adverse credit, which will be used to assess my suitability for a tenancy

• Verifying my income details.

• Fraud prevention, credit assessment and insurance decisions.”

It also wants me to give my permission to use “Open Banking”, from what I have read sounds particularly invasive in terms of privacy. I’d appreciate it if somebody with more brains than I do had a look at their website and put what will be available to them in layman’s terms...

https://www.letalliance.co.uk

FindMyWayBack

I does seem to contradict what has already been said. Unless they are referring the new 'open banking' thing

[Deleted User]

mattymc13 said:

I have read this thread thoroughly, so why is it I am reading agents now use referencing agencies that can access full credit reports, including credit score?

From my tenant check application form...

“• Performing a credit search by a third party agency (our current partner is TransUnion and their Privacy Notice is located here here). The credit search will return my full credit report including credit score and details of any adverse credit, which will be used to assess my suitability for a tenancy

• Verifying my income details.

• Fraud prevention, credit assessment and insurance decisions.”

It also wants me to give my permission to use “Open Banking”, from what I have read sounds particularly invasive in terms of privacy. I’d appreciate it if somebody with more brains than I do had a look at their website and put what will be available to them in layman’s terms...

https://www.letalliance.co.uk

A full credit report is stretching it a bit.  Your public credit file i.e. CCJ and insolvency yes, the whole kit and caboodle no.  TransUnion's own website says exactly what is involved in a tenant check and all it has, the same as the Experian tenant check, is the public credit file, verifying your identity and address and giving you a tenant score, not the credit score TransUnion bestow upon you.  
https://www.transunion.co.uk/markets-served/estate-agents-and-letting-agents/tenant-vetting-and-referencing

Do you have a link to the specific page on Let Alliance's website you are getting your information from?

FindMyWayBack

I spoke to that company, and they said they do have access, going back six years of the whole lot, I said several times do you mean just the public info and she said no the whole file
Then I read this:       should have been a link here
So I am still not convinced either way.
The forum won't let me post links???? what's that all about?
You will need to go on check my file and search for article 2892

[Deleted User]

FindMyWayBack said:

I spoke to that company, and they said they do have access, going back six years of the whole lot, I said several times do you mean just the public info and she said no the whole file
Then I read this:       should have been a link here
So I am still not convinced either way.
The forum won't let me post links???? what's that all about?
You will need to go on check my file and search for article 2892

This article?

https://www.checkmyfile.com/articles/2892/personal-finance/which-credit-report-information-can-landlords-see.htm

It says public files too.  Based on that article, TransUnion's own description of their service and Experian's description of their service I'd be inclined to say that Let Alliance are speaking rubbish.  Only certain types of organisations can perform full 'hard' credit searches and letting agents and tenant reference companies aren't them.  

[Deleted User]

In fact, given that landlords could go directly to Experian or TransUnion to get those tenant reference reports I don't know why any would bother to use Let Alliance as a middle man.  I can't see what Let Alliance are doing for their money.

FindMyWayBack

I have tried to reply a few times, but it doesn't seem to be working. Yes that article. I think you are right, but that is not what they are saying on the telephone.

schmeil1

Just a quick update from me, the thread starter 🙂
I’m pleased to report, that despite still having a ‘poor’ rating on my personal credit score (which continues to limit my ability to raise financial credit) I was able to take up a tenancy on a rental property without any problem last October.

It would appear that the ‘credit report’ was indeed a minimal search to establish identity and double check that there were no outstanding CCJ’s or bankruptcy 🙂🙂

Thanks for everyone’s advice and FindMyWayBack, I hope you too get your situation sorted 🙂