Don’t Skip Tenant Checks
Landlords Urged Not To Skip Tenant Referencing
If you are a seasoned landlord or are just starting out in buy-to-let, you need to understand the importance of carrying out background checks on potential tenants.
Right now it’s a landlord’s market with more people choosing to rent so UK landlords can afford to be a little more choosy.
The National Landlords Association (NLA) has issued a reminder to all UK landlords to carry out thorough background checks on potential tenants before they let out their property to them, so they can confirm the true identity of the tenant and ensure there are no reasons why any rental payments would be missed.
The Landlord Association carried out a nationwide survey revealing 74% of landlords are currently suffering some form of rent arrears and many were in the process of seeking possession of their properties.
The association also revealed that almost 1 in 20 tenants had more than one County Court Judgement, (CCJ ), against their name at a previous address during the first quarter of 2011.
Legal4 Landlords Tenant Referencing Services include:
• CCJ search
• ID check
• Alias name search
• History of previous addresses
• Bankruptcy check
• Employer and Landlord References
• Assessment of a tenant’s ability to meet rent payments
UK landlords are becoming more aware of the risks they have previously taken when letting to unsuitable tenants, and unfortunately they have mostly learned the hard way, through experience.
It is vital landlords find out basic information about their prospective tenant to help avoid rent arrears or other problems further into the tenancy.
A thorough tenant reference gives the landlord peace of mind that their properties are in good hands and will hopefully mark the start of a long and happy tenancy.
