Shortlisting enquiries
Some landlords choose to shortlist prospective tenants by asking a few questions by email or over the phone.
Having selected a prospective tenant many landlords will ask for a holding deposit or charge a referencing fee to help deter time wasters:
Some landlords choose to shortlist prospective tenants by asking a few questions by email or over the phone.
Having selected a prospective tenant many landlords will ask for a holding deposit or charge a referencing fee to help deter time wasters:
- A holding deposit is usually equivalent to one week’s rent. It would normally be returned unless the tenant pulled out of the property.
- A referencing fee would normally be equivalent to the cost of carrying out reference checks. A landlord would normally refund an equivalent sum if the tenant is successful.
The terms and conditions for a holding deposit or referencing fee and what they cover should be confirmed in writing.
In order to carry out checks it is necessary to ask for specific information. Many landlords will use an application form to collect this. A specialist referencing company will have their own.
It is important to get the balance right between collecting sufficient information and not being too intrusive. Information requested may include:
- Personal contact details
- Next of kin contact details
- Accommodation addresses for the past three years
- Contact details of previous landlords
- Income (could be Local Housing Allowance)
- Referee contact details
Landlords may also require assurance that their prospective tenant has no outstanding County Court Judgements against them and does not owe money to a landlord, local authority or utility company.