Tenant Requests & Referencing Issues After Holding Deposit – Red Flag?

Landlord Discussion
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Hi everyone,

I’d appreciate your thoughts on a situation I’m dealing with.

Background

  • Viewing day: Tenant asked if I could remove the bed and mattress so she could bring in her own king‑size set. We discussed it but made no verbal agreement.
  • After holding deposit, July rent, and secured deposit were paid, and the tenancy agreement was signed, she emailed asking for all bedroom furniture to be removed, insisting we’d already agreed. I reminded her no such agreement existed but, as a goodwill gesture, offered to take away the bedside tables.

Referencing delays & discrepancies

  1. Reference contacts: Provided only after three follow‑up requests (she says she emailed them twice).
  2. Address mismatch: Current bank statement showed 39 xxx Road, not 339.
  3. Electoral roll: Lists her at 339 xxx Road 2021 – 2023; she claimed 2022 – 2023.
  4. Bank statement: Still carries the old address.
  5. Most recent address (2023 – 2025): Supplied only yesterday after I queried the discrepancies.

Management‑company rules

Our building’s management company grants facility access only once they receive the fully executed tenancy agreement from landlord. I explained that without it (plus landlord reference), her key/fob could be deactivated. She responded that my email “sounded threatening.” I clarified this is simply a legal and compliance requirement driven by safety and liability rules, not a threat.

My questions for fellow landlords

  • Have you encountered tenants who become more demanding after the holding deposit is paid?
  • How do you handle mid‑process changes or claims of verbal agreements that never happened?
  • Any tips for dealing with referencing delays and address inconsistencies without the relationship turning sour?

Thanks in advance for any advice or perspective!

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Why did you sign the tenancy agreement if you werent fully satisfied and the process was not yet complete? Youre now contractually obliged to provide the accommodation. She doesnt yet have a tenancy if you havent given keys and/or she hasnt taken possession, but she could sue you for breach of contract if you dont give them to her. This may mean you covering her short term housing costs until she gets somewhere else, although most landlords would still orefer that to entering into a tenancy with the wrong person. Get some urgent legal advice before your next move.

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Did you sign up and then reference or reference and then sign?

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Reference from employer, affordability are both good.
Reference from previous landlord was delayed.
credit check no adverse info.

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We all experience this
These are red flags walk away
If it starts like this it only gets worse
Your being trained
She is flipping the narrative blaming you
She wants you to walk on egg shells around her
These are serious warning signs
If you’ve not yet signed make a polite excuse and walk away
You don’t want this especially with RRB due in autumn

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Alas the deed has been done @A_A :roll_eyes:

How did she end up with a key fob before management co had already received all paperwork?

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I gave her the key and fob, but the management company wants to see the tenancy agreement send from leaseholder before they allow access for facilities such as gym, swimming pool, mini golf, cinema room etc.

I am feeling a bit stupid…

but her reference for work and affordability are both good…

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Now, what can I do in future to protect myself? Is there a landlord equivalent of “objection – misrepresentation!” I mean, if someone provides inaccurate or incomplete information (intentionally or not), is there any legal ground to challenge the validity of the tenancy agreement before it begins?

Also, just for fun — I did a bit of googling (as any cautious landlord might) and found that the tenant has a strong academic and personal interest in politics, possibly even Labour-party related work in future. So I assume she wouldn’t want anything like “tenant misrepresents facts” popping up in an awkward background check someday… :sweat_smile:
Anyway…any insight on how to better protect ourselves legally or procedurally in such cases would be super helpful!

With RRB potentially coming into effect later, I should just sell everything lol
I will prey (pray)* for myself…

I have not looked it up yet, but can I assume the RRB would say for tenancy agreement signed prior to xxx 2025, and after xxx 2025?

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Ironically, that spelling mistake sounds accurate.

The day RRB becomes law, it will apply to all existing ASTs (if that’s what your final paragraph means - hard to tell).

Any “cautious landlord” would have done “a bit of googling” before even wasting time on a viewing. That would be one way to protect yourself in the future.

Er… you can’t mean that you would challenge your own tenancy agreement so I’m not sure who would do the challenging here. The real test of the legality of a tenancy agreement is in court when things go pear shaped which I sincerely hope they don’t for you.

There’s no misrepresentation going on here. You just agreed to let someone who is very particular live in your property for a long time. You’re either going to have to come to some social understanding with them and be clearer on boundaries from now on, or you’re going to have to suffer until they breach the AST terms and you can start the painfully slow and expensive process of eviction.

But, it’s early days. They might turn out to be a faithful tenant who is actually fine. I hope so.

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If youve given her the key she is likely to be able to argue that her tenancy has begun, although it would be for a court to decide. At this point I think youre options are either get advice from a specialist L&T lawyer or make the best of the tenancy.

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