How to Screen Tenants Properly and Avoid Problem Renters

The stakes have never been higher. Since May 2026, landlords can no longer simply serve a Section 21 notice to remove a difficult tenant. Ending a tenancy now requires a legitimate legal ground, which makes the decision about who you let to in the first place far more important than it has ever been.

The good news: a structured, evidence-led screening process gives you far more protection than instinct alone. This guide sets out exactly how to do it — compliantly, consistently, and confidently.

Key takeaway: Tenant screening is not about gut feeling. It is about verifiable evidence applied consistently to every applicant. That approach protects you legally and practically.

What Has Changed Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025

Before diving into the screening process itself, it is worth understanding the legal landscape that now governs how landlords can assess and select tenants. Several significant changes came into force in 2026 that affect what you can and cannot do.

What is now prohibited

• Blanket bans on benefit claimants. Phrases such as "No DSS" or "working tenants only" are unlawful. You cannot refuse a viewing, withhold information, or discourage an application because someone receives housing benefit or Universal Credit.

• Blanket bans on families with children. Advertising "no children" or "professionals only" (where it is used as a proxy for childless applicants) is also prohibited.

• Rent bidding. Landlords and agents must advertise a clear asking rent and cannot invite, encourage, or accept offers above it.

• Excessive rent in advance. Landlords can no longer require more than one month's rent upfront. Large advance payments used as informal screening tools or extra security deposits are prohibited.

What you can still do

None of the above means you must accept every applicant who comes forward. You retain full control over tenant selection, provided decisions are based on objective, financial, and behavioural criteria applied consistently. You can still assess:

• Affordability and income

• Employment status or other verified income sources

• Credit history

• Previous landlord references

• Whether the applicant can meet the terms of the tenancy

The critical principle: apply the same criteria to every applicant, and document your reasoning for every decision — accepted or declined.

Step One: Set Your Criteria Before You Advertise

The single most effective thing a landlord can do is decide what an acceptable applicant looks like before the first enquiry arrives. This is not bureaucracy for its own sake. Written criteria protect you from accusations of discrimination and stop you making inconsistent decisions under the pressure of a busy viewing day.

Affordability benchmarks

A widely used standard in the UK is that a tenant's gross annual income should be approximately 30 times the monthly rent. For a property let at £1,800 per calendar month in North London, that means looking for a tenant earning around £54,000 per year. Guarantors are typically assessed at 36 times the monthly rent.

These are guidelines, not rigid rules. A tenant with a slightly lower salary but a strong savings record and an impeccable previous landlord reference may well be a safer choice than one who just meets the income threshold on paper. The key is that you assess the full picture for every applicant, rather than ruling out a whole category of people.

What to include in your written criteria

Criterion	What to specify
Affordability	Minimum income multiple (e.g. 30x monthly rent)
Income verification	Acceptable documents (payslips, bank statements, accounts)
Credit history	What constitutes a pass or a prompt for further discussion
References	Landlord reference required; employer reference required
Right to Rent	Checks required for all adult occupiers aged 18+
Guarantor	When required and what standard they must meet

Once written, these criteria must be applied to every applicant without exception. Changing the goalposts between candidates is both unfair and a legal risk.

Step Two: Pre-Screen Before Viewings

Viewings take time. A short pre-screening conversation or online form before you commit to showing the property saves everyone time and filters out applicants who are clearly unsuitable on practical grounds before any face-to-face meeting.

Ask every enquirer the same questions. Consistency here is essential — you cannot ask some applicants about their income and not others.

Pre-screening questions to ask

• What is your intended move-in date?

• How many people will be living in the property?

• Do you have a pet? (You must consider requests properly under current rules)

• Can you confirm your approximate income or household income?

• Are you currently renting, and if so, can you provide a reference from your landlord?

Keep a record of the answers. If an applicant's responses are vague, inconsistent, or they are reluctant to answer straightforward questions about income or current tenancy, that is worth noting — though it should prompt further investigation, not automatic rejection.

One thing to be clear about: pre-screening is not a substitute for formal referencing. It is a practical filter. The real verification happens at the referencing stage.

Step Three: The Viewing — What to Look For Beyond the Property

The viewing serves two purposes: it gives the applicant a chance to assess the property, and it gives you a chance to assess them. The conversation you have during a viewing often tells you more than a completed application form.

You are not trying to catch anyone out. You are simply paying attention to how someone communicates, how consistent their answers are, and whether they seem genuinely engaged with the responsibilities of renting.

Things worth noting at the viewing

• Punctuality and communication. Did they arrive on time? Did they let you know if they were running late? Small signals about reliability matter.

• Questions they ask. A tenant who asks thoughtful questions about the boiler, the waste collection, or the neighbours is usually more engaged than one who asks only about the Wi-Fi password.

• Consistency with pre-screening answers. If their household size or move-in date has suddenly changed since the initial enquiry, ask why.

• How they treat the property. Even at a viewing, attentive landlords notice whether someone is respectful of the space.

None of these observations should replace formal referencing, and none should be used to make assumptions based on protected characteristics. They are context, not conclusions. Always confirm key facts in writing and through the referencing process.

Step Four: Referencing and Verification

This is where good intentions become actual protection. Referencing is the formal verification stage, and it is the most important part of the entire screening process. A landlord who skips or rushes referencing is taking a significant and entirely avoidable risk.

Always obtain written consent from the applicant before running any checks.

The four pillars of thorough referencing

1. Identity and Right to Rent

Under the Government's Right to Rent scheme, you must check that every adult occupier aged 18 or over has the legal right to rent in England before the tenancy begins. This applies to all applicants, not just those you suspect may be from overseas — selective checking is itself discriminatory. You can conduct this via a Home Office online check, a manual document-based check, or a certified Right to Rent Digital Service Provider.

Keep copies of all documents. The updated Code of Practice, in force from 1 October 2026, sets out your obligations in detail.

2. Credit check

A credit check reveals County Court Judgements (CCJs), bankruptcy, and patterns of missed payments. A poor credit history is not an automatic disqualifier — someone who had financial difficulties several years ago and has since rebuilt their credit may be a perfectly good tenant. What you are looking for is a pattern of recent, unresolved financial problems that suggest difficulty meeting regular financial commitments.

3. Income and employment verification

Ask for:

• Three months of payslips (or six months of bank statements for self-employed applicants)

• An employer reference confirming employment status, salary, and length of service

• For self-employed applicants: two years of accounts or a letter from their accountant

Cross-reference the documents. If the payslips show a different employer name to the one on the application form, or the salary figures do not match, ask for an explanation.

4. Previous landlord reference

This is arguably the single most valuable piece of evidence in a tenant application. A genuine reference from a current or previous landlord — one you have called directly on a number listed independently, not a number provided by the applicant — tells you how the tenant actually behaved in practice.

Ask the previous landlord:

• Did the tenant pay rent on time, consistently?

• Did they look after the property?

• Were there any complaints from neighbours?

• Would you rent to them again?

That last question is the most revealing. A hesitant "yes" or a non-answer often says more than the words themselves.

A note on guarantors: if an applicant's income is below your threshold or their credit history gives you pause, a guarantor can provide additional reassurance. Check the guarantor to exactly the same standard as the tenant: ID, credit check, and proof of income. A guarantor who cannot afford to cover the rent offers no real protection.

Red Flags to Watch For

Red flags are not reasons to reject someone outright. They are prompts to ask more questions and look more carefully at the evidence. The distinction matters legally: a rejection should always be based on verified information, not suspicion.

That said, the following patterns are worth taking seriously:

• Reluctance to provide references or documentation. A tenant with nothing to hide generally has no problem providing payslips, a landlord reference, or ID. Repeated delays or excuses around documentation are a signal.

• References that cannot be independently verified. If you cannot reach the previous landlord on a number you have found independently, or if the "employer" reference comes from a personal email address, treat it with caution.

• Pressure to move in very quickly. Urgency is sometimes genuine, but it can also be used to rush a landlord into skipping proper checks.

• Inconsistencies between documents. Names, addresses, or salary figures that do not match across different documents require an explanation.

• Unwillingness to sign a tenancy agreement. This is rare but significant. Any applicant who resists committing to a written agreement should give you serious pause.

• A vague or evasive response to "why are you leaving your current property?" A straightforward answer — end of tenancy, relocating for work, property being sold — is normal. Evasiveness about the circumstances of a departure may indicate a difficult relationship with a previous landlord.

When you receive multiple offers on a property, the temptation is to move quickly. Resist it. A week of thorough referencing is far cheaper than months of managing a problem tenancy.

Record Keeping: Your Legal Safety Net

Many landlords do the hard work of screening thoroughly but then fail to document their decisions. This is a significant oversight. If a rejected applicant ever challenges your decision, your written records are the evidence that your process was fair and consistent.

What to keep on file

• A copy of your written selection criteria as they existed at the time of advertising

• Notes from pre-screening conversations, including the questions asked and answers given

• Copies of all referencing documents (payslips, bank statements, credit check results, references)

• Right to Rent check documents and the date the check was completed

• A brief written note explaining why each applicant was accepted or declined

The note for a declined applicant does not need to be lengthy. Something as simple as "income verified at £28,000 against a requirement of £43,200 for this property; criteria not met" is sufficient. What it must not say, even indirectly, is anything that could be construed as relating to a protected characteristic.

On data protection: unsuccessful applicants' personal data should be securely deleted once the tenancy has been agreed and the retention period has passed. Holding onto referencing documents indefinitely creates unnecessary risk under UK GDPR.

Holding deposits are also subject to rules. Under the Tenant Fees Act, a holding deposit is capped at one week's rent. You must normally return it if the tenancy does not proceed, unless the applicant provided false information, failed the Right to Rent check, or withdrew from the process.

Your Tenant Screening Checklist

Use this as a practical reference before and during the letting process.

Before advertising

• Written selection and affordability criteria agreed

• Advert states the asking rent clearly, with no discriminatory wording

Pre-screening

• Same questions asked of every enquirer

• Answers recorded

Viewing

• Observations noted (punctuality, consistency, engagement)

Referencing

• Written consent obtained for all checks

• Photo ID and proof of address verified

• Right to Rent check completed for all adult occupiers aged 18+; copies kept

• Credit check completed

• Income verified with payslips, bank statements, or accounts

• Employer reference obtained

• Previous landlord reference obtained (via independently sourced contact details)

• Guarantor checked to the same standard, if required

Decision

• Reason for accepting or declining each applicant recorded in writing

• Holding deposit taken (if applicable): no more than one week's rent

• No more than one month's rent taken in advance

• Unsuccessful applicants' data scheduled for secure deletion

How a Letting Agent Can Help

For many landlords, particularly those with a single property or those managing from a distance, the screening process described above is time-consuming and carries real legal risk if any step is handled inconsistently. A professional letting agent takes on that responsibility.

At Hemmingfords, our lettings service includes comprehensive tenant referencing as standard. We apply the same rigorous process to every applicant, maintain full documentation, and stay current with the legal requirements that govern how tenants can and cannot be assessed. We have done this across North London for years, and our 4.9-star rating reflects the quality of tenants we place as much as anything else.

For landlords who want ongoing support beyond the let itself, our property management service covers everything from rent collection and maintenance coordination to responding to tenant issues promptly — which, in its own way, is another form of protection. A well-managed tenancy is far less likely to deteriorate into a difficult one.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 has made the letting landscape more complex. But it has also made the value of getting the tenant selection right — from the very first enquiry — clearer than ever. If you would like to talk through how we approach tenant screening, or find out more about letting your property in North London, get in touch with the Hemmingfords team.

FAQs

Can I refuse an applicant because they receive housing benefit?

No. Blanket bans on benefit claimants, including phrases like "No DSS", are unlawful. You can still assess affordability, references, and payment history, but the decision must be based on objective criteria applied consistently to every applicant.

What income do I need to look for when screening a tenant?

A common benchmark is around 30 times the monthly rent as annual gross income. It is a guide rather than a rule, so you should also consider savings, credit history, landlord references, and any guarantor support before making a decision.

How many months’ rent can I ask for in advance?

Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, landlords cannot require more than one month’s rent upfront. That makes proper referencing and affordability checks even more important, because advance payments can no longer be used as an informal safeguard.

What is the most important part of tenant referencing?

The previous landlord reference is often the most revealing check. It tells you how the applicant behaved in a real tenancy, including whether they paid on time, respected the property, and caused problems with neighbours or the tenancy terms.

Do I need to check the Right to Rent for every adult in the property?

Yes. Every adult occupier aged 18 or over must have their Right to Rent checked before the tenancy starts. The same process must be used for all applicants, because selective checking can be discriminatory.