What does the openrent referencing check include?

Landlord Discussion
1

Hi,

I wonder if anyone know exactly what the openrent referencing include, for example, do they check the applicant payslip, or get reference from employer?

2

Hello, yes they check employment pay and current details, the check landlord details but be aware, if the previous landlord is dodgy that won’t get picked up, recently they checked a potential tenant of mine, this person let it slip he was paying cash then it turned out he was a family friend. The credit check recommends if you should let your property to them or not.

3

Thanks. Does the reference do the credit check for guarantor as well? How can I request the guarantor to be added in the reference check? If the guarnantor seems ok, can I just add him/her to the tenancy agreement?

4

the gurantor has to have a credit check as well. If you dont do it , how will you know whether they have the ability to pay if the tenant defaults

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5

Good point Colin. Thanks. Do you know by any chance will all the reference fees paid by the landlord, not the tenant? So in this case, there will three, two tenant+ guarantor?

6

I requested a reference check be made on multiple persons. If the information can be extracted from them or from other sources, the following was provided in a comprehensive report:

  • Recommendation of acceptance or otherwise
  • Previous addresses, confirmed or otherwise
  • Credit Check, includes CCJ history and bankruptcy
  • Risk Score, e.g. High Risk with a numerical figure
  • Bank Account details and whether or not they have Direct Debits or not, details not provided obviously
  • Employment income, duration of, and current employment address
  • Recommendation for guarantor or not
  • Right to Rent with evidence for it.
    I was kept informed of efforts to acquire the above, and it continued for weeks when the person was not identifiable from whatever searches the agency does and continued with requests put to the person concerned to provide missing information.

I hope that helps

7

Landlord pays. so all the more need to carefully ask questions BEFORE you reference to get an idea of whether you should proceed All adult tenants and guarrantors should be referenced. You should allow for this cost in the rent you ask for. It is a business expense.

8

Thanks John. That’s very informative. So I do not have to ask them for payslip since the reference check will do that.

9

As Colin3 said, do ask the prospective tenant for what ever information you need: it may save you the trivial cost of a reference check, especially if they back-out.

10

Beware - if your tenants have moved from anywhere other than the UK, their referencing is worthless. They check NOTHING - no credit checks, no employer references, nothing.

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11

Hi Kai, here is a guide to what is included in OpenRent referencing.

Sam

12

If you are fairly confident that your tenant(s) will require a guarantor then you need only reference the guarantor. The buck stops with the guarantor. There are many reasons this might be the case. For example if you are renting to students and one of the student’s parents offer to be guarantor for all the tenants (yes, this happens but more often with postgraduates). If you want to go full belt and braces, then do as Colin3 suggests. However, I have found that nothing is better than asking your own well phrased questions (better in writing) and completing your own referencing. A honest and well meaning tenant would not refuse to answer and supply the requested documents. In return, I give proof of property ownership to my tenants, all required and current prescribed information and prompt responses to any issues/problems throughout the tenancy. Never had a complaint in over 10 years of letting.

13

Great when it works well. good tenants help to make a good landlord … Problems only arrise when injividuals of either party have an attitude that they are the bees knees and always right

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