Tenant referencing for UK landlords

Tenant referencing questions landlords ask

What is a tenant referencing service?

A tenant referencing service checks a prospective tenant before you let to them: who they are, their credit history, whether they can afford the rent, what their employer and previous landlord say, and their Right to Rent. RentFig's tenant referencing service lets a UK landlord order those checks online, per applicant, from £9 for a credit check or £19 for a full reference, with no letting agent and no subscription.

Does the full reference include a digital Right to Rent check?

Yes, in England. The £19 full reference checks the applicant's passport or ID document with a liveness selfie through Yoti, whose identity services are on the GOV.UK digital verification services register with the Right to Rent code (certified 4 November 2025, valid to 4 November 2028). British and Irish citizens can be checked digitally; applicants whose status is held by the Home Office use a share code. The £9 credit check confirms identity electronically and does not include Right to Rent.

Who actually runs the checks?

Checks are run through our specialist UK referencing partner, using data from licensed credit reference agencies. The partner contacts your applicant directly to collect their details and consent, so sensitive information goes straight from tenant to referencing agency — it never has to pass through you.

Can I use this without a RentFig account?

Yes. RentFig tenant referencing is open to any UK landlord — you order online, pay by card, and the report arrives by email. No account, no subscription, no minimum volume. RentFig members pay £2 less on every check and have each reference filed against the tenancy automatically.

Do I have to go through a letting agent?

No. RentFig sells tenant referencing directly to landlords — you order and pay online yourself, with no letting agent, agency contract or intermediary involved. That's not true of most well-known UK referencing brands: Goodlord, HomeLet, Let Alliance and Canopy are all agent-facing and either quote through a letting agent's account or don't offer a self-serve route for an individual landlord at all.

Will a check affect my applicant's credit score?

No. Every check uses a soft search, which is only visible to the applicant on their own credit file. It doesn't affect their score, however many checks are run.

How fast is RentFig tenant referencing?

The credit check can be back the same day once the applicant has completed their form, because it's automated against credit reference agency data. The clock only starts once the applicant has filled in their part. Our referencing takes place Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, so it can take longer outside those hours. The full reference usually takes up to 7 working days, because it waits on the applicant's employer and previous landlord replying — most of the time is spent on the applicant completing their form and those referees responding, which no provider can force to happen instantly. Treat any 'instant full reference' claim with caution.

Do you offer credit check services for landlords, or only full references?

Both, as separate products — you don't have to buy a full reference to get a credit check. The £9 credit check alone covers a soft-search credit history, useful when you just need a quick read on affordability and adverse credit. The £19 full reference adds income and employer verification, previous landlord reference, Right to Rent and anti-fraud checks. Order whichever one the applicant and the letting actually need.

Can I reference a guarantor as well as a tenant?

Yes. Choose Guarantor when you order and they go through the same credit check or full reference, answering the guarantor questions on home ownership and income. Each person is a separate check with their own report, but you can order a tenant and their guarantor together in one payment — or up to six tenants and guarantors for one property, such as HMO rooms or sharers. Useful for student lets and first-time renters where a guarantor is carrying the affordability.

What if the applicant fails referencing?

The report gives you a clear verdict plus the detail behind it, so you can decide what to do next — decline, ask for a guarantor, or take a larger picture into account. Many landlords re-run affordability against a guarantor rather than losing an otherwise good tenant.

Not sure which route to take? See our guide to tenant referencing options, wondering what it should cost? See the cheapest tenant referencing in the UK or learn how to reference a tenant step by step.

Weighing us against another provider? We compare RentFig with OpenRent, Goodlord, HomeLet, Canopy, Oops and NRLA referencing — or see all comparisons.