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Please help me guys!! Unjustified bad reference from landlord

Please help with my dilemma. 
The pretext is - I stayed in a flat 1.5-2 years ago, my then landlord accused me for damaging my flatmate's room, when it was really a girl my flatmate brought back, since he was friendlier with the guy, not only did he not question the lad, he plainly accused me for it. I had so many evidence yet he refused to hear. Later on he started framing me for damages in my own room. My flatmate just washed his hands off it when he was the liable one. 

My landlord had no inventory list whatsoever to prove, and it was not a joint tenancy. I gave him good will money in the end but I made it clear I did not do it, my mental health just was not strong enough to deal with it. 

When I found a new place, he sent the most abhorrent reference to Paragon with lies, I had a huge panic attack over it and Paragon did not give me the chance to present any counter proof. Needless to say it was a failed check but the flatmates believed me and allowed me to sublet. The agent then send me a copy of his statement, which would be handy if I was to go to court on him for slandering and fraudulent statement. 

I moved to my current place when the tenancy finished in the sublet, as the landlord required full referencing for contract extension, which obviously wasn't going to happen. 
I am leaving my current flat soon and with two recent, good references, but the new agent has asked for 3 years of history, it will not be a surprise for what he will say. 

Do you know if the different companies share the same database and therefore I should just come clean and refute him, or I should simply put "staying with family" for the address? I don't think I should be punished and this has been upsetting me for a very long time. It is unfair that I am to carry on with a terrible reference when I have done nothing wrong. 

Comments

  • dimbo61
    dimbo61 Posts: 13,727 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Agents and previous Landlords don't have a date base.
    Simply say you lived at home before X date and give details of most recent LL.
    Good luck on finding a new home 
  • princeofpounds
    princeofpounds Posts: 10,396 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Can you not just tell the new agent you lived somewhere else in that third year? Like with parents or similar? AFAIK they don't really have a 'database'.
  • dimbo61 said:
    Agents and previous Landlords don't have a date base.
    Simply say you lived at home before X date and give details of most recent LL.
    Good luck on finding a new home 
    I meant the referencing company though!
  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 17,772 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Just give the two good references and be done with it.
    If they find a record from the referencing company that does not align, maybe it was a similar person with a similar name?
    May not be convincing if you have a particularly unusual name, for example Zebedee Zingson.
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