# Self employed tenant reference check **URL:** \ **Category:** Landlord Discussion\ **Created:** [9 June 2023 01:53 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819 "2023-06-09T01:53:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stt106](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/stt106/32/17488_2.png) [@stt106](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/stt106)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 01:53 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/1 "2023-06-09T01:53:48Z")
An agent introduced a tenant who has paid a holding deposit and now the reference check is in progress. Then I found out that the potential is actually self employed as the CEO of his own limited company; and he only came to the UK two years ago. According to the agent, the tenant claimed he makes £110k per year. I went to the government website checking his company record; it’s just a shell company having no transaction whatsoever in the last two years. I don’t think the reference checking can find too much given he hasn’t been in the UK for long. I am having a bad feeling about this. Is there any way I can do extra check? Or I should just walk away to be safe rather than being sorry later? I will have to pay the agent £400 for admin fee if the reference check doesn’t find any problem according to the contract with the agent. But that’s still better than more serious problems later I think. Someone suggested a 6 month or a whole year rent upfront; this doesn’t give me full assurance though. Maybe a guarantor is useful here? ---
**Author:** ![Mark10](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mark10/32/11325_2.png) [@Mark10](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Mark10)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 04:26 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/2 "2023-06-09T04:26:12Z")
You should personally be checking several months bank statements and 2 years of SA302. However with no trading history it sounds like it’s all a non starter, unless you have checked the wrong company name. As I’ve said previously, guarantor certainly helps and rent upfront. ---
**Author:** ![Mark10](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mark10/32/11325_2.png) [@Mark10](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Mark10)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 07:14 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/3 "2023-06-09T07:14:45Z")
Are you getting rent guarantee insurance? If so they will need to be satisfied. ---
**Author:** ![stt106](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/stt106/32/17488_2.png) [@stt106](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/stt106)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 07:22 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/4 "2023-06-09T07:22:49Z")
I will definitely get rent guarantee but not sure which one I will be using; probably direct line landlord insurance with rent guarantee add on. Don’t know which reference checking company the agent is using. Once reference checking report is done, I will double check with direct line to make sure they’re satisfied. Thanks for the heads-up! ---
**Author:** ![stt106](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/stt106/32/17488_2.png) [@stt106](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/stt106)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 15:16 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/5 "2023-06-09T15:16:00Z")
The reference check just came back and it says the prospective tenant has 0 annual income but a saving of £87k and hence PASSED the reference check done by RightMove. This doesn’t make much sense to me! ---
**Author:** ![Mark10](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mark10/32/11325_2.png) [@Mark10](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Mark10)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 16:20 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/6 "2023-06-09T16:20:06Z")
To me that is ridiculous that it’s passed. I cannot see how any rent guarantee scheme would accept this. Ask the agent if their own rent guarantee scheme would accept this tenant based on zero income. He could buy a Porsche tomorrow and then there’s nothing! ---
**Author:** ![Colin3](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/colin3/32/450_2.png) [@Colin3](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Colin3)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 16:23 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/7 "2023-06-09T16:23:04Z")
this is a laugh no income and plenty in the bank… plainly reject ---
**Author:** ![Nilesh](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/nilesh/32/515_2.png) [@Nilesh](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Nilesh)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 18:14 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/8 "2023-06-09T18:14:32Z")
My takeaways from this: Get a better agent who applies some common sense and always do your own referencing (I always do). ---
**Author:** ![Colin3](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/colin3/32/450_2.png) [@Colin3](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Colin3)\ **Post date:** [9 June 2023 20:12 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/9 "2023-06-09T20:12:19Z")
take 5 years upfront and hope he has a job at the end of it. !!! ---
**Author:** ![stt106](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/stt106/32/17488_2.png) [@stt106](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/stt106)\ **Post date:** [13 June 2023 13:07 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/10 "2023-06-13T13:07:42Z")
Unbelievable; after I said I can’t accept someone within 0 annual income. The agent asked Rightmove to do the reference again; now they issued a new report saying the tenant’s annual income is 95k. Sounds like a magic number they just made up. Now I am asking to see tenant’s previous 12 months’ bank statement or pay slips and his P60. ---
**Author:** ![Mark10](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mark10/32/11325_2.png) [@Mark10](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Mark10)\ **Post date:** [13 June 2023 15:41 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/11 "2023-06-13T15:41:41Z")
Does agents rent guarantee scheme accept tenants with no annual income and savings only? ---
**Author:** ![stt106](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/stt106/32/17488_2.png) [@stt106](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/stt106)\ **Post date:** [13 June 2023 22:53 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/12 "2023-06-13T22:53:25Z")
Agent said because the reference checking is done by Rightmove, I can buy a rent guarantee from Rightmove. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/system/32/11_2.png) [@system](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/system)\ **Post date:** [11 September 2023 22:53 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/self-employed-tenant-reference-check/49819/13 "2023-09-11T22:53:46Z")
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