New Landlord Questions for Prospective Tennants

Landlord Discussion
1

Hi all I am new here, first time landlord on openrent and would appreciate some help please.

I’ve been reading some of the posts with interest and a lot seem to adopt an approach of not using the pre screening questions but by sending a number of pre-written questions to the prospective tennant before viewings.

I’d just like to ask is there a standard sensible list that people use or does everyone ask different questions. Where I’m unsure is what I’m allowed to actually ask and what would be considered to be unfair.

Do you ask these before agreeing any viewings so to avoid wasting time for both sides. This is for a family house. I also want to make sure I stand a good change of getting them past the reference check so I can get the RGI with Openrent in case problems occur in the future. I also want to make sure I don’t fall fowl of the house insurance T&C’s for instance this won’t allow me to accept DSS.

What I have so far is

  1. Do you have any pets or in the process of getting any gets and if so what are they?
  2. Occupation of each adult > 18 who would reside at the property, full/part time. Age of any children that would occupy the property.
  3. Time in current job and annual salary received for each adult.
  4. Do you require any housing or other benefits to meet the monthly rental payments.
  5. Has any adult that would reside at the property ever had any CCJ’s
  6. Has any adult that would reside at the property ever been bankrupt.
  7. Has any adult that would reside at the property ever been evicted from a previous property or is in the process of being evicted.
  8. Has any adult that would reside at the property have any crimal conviction or have any case pending.

Anything else I have missed or any of the above I should remove from my list?

Some people have indicated they ask for three months bank statements and three months payslips, is this before letting people view or getting people referenced.

If you think the above is too much please just let me know, very interested to hear from other landlords.

Thanks very much in advance and really appreciate any help you can offer so I get the balance of questions correct.