For tenants
Straight answers about tenant references: what they are, what same day depends on, and what to do if you are self employed or you have already spotted a mistake.
It is the check a letting agent or landlord asks for before you move in. It looks at who you are, where you have lived, and whether the rent on this property fits the money you have coming in. It is not a certificate you hang on the wall. It is an answer for the person who is about to give you the keys.
Yes. The questions are one screen at a time and the apply button is large enough to hit with a thumb. Do it somewhere you can see the screen, with your ID nearby. If you get a call halfway through, come back to the same link. You should not have to start from the first question again.
Your legal name and date of birth, the addresses you have lived at with postcodes, and a photo of your passport or driving licence. Know the rent the agent quoted, and roughly what income you can show. The longer list is on the what you will need page.
If the file is complete, the reference is ready the same day and goes back to your agent. Complete means the name matches, the addresses join up, and we can see income without waiting for your employer or your old landlord to reply. A missing photo or a gap in the addresses pauses the clock until you fix it.
We look at the money you can show and set it next to the rent. Connecting the account your wages go into is one option, so we can see what arrives. It is not compulsory and it is not a separate service. Payslips and other proof are accepted too. Documents take a person longer to read, so the reference can take longer.
It is not a problem, and it is not the same as a monthly salary. Describe the income the way it really arrives. One good month is not a salary. If the automatic check cannot see a pattern, a person looks at the file. Tell the truth at the start so they are not discovering it later.
The reference will say what the numbers say. A wage that only covers the rent if you never eat is not a kindness to hide. Sometimes a guarantor changes the picture, if your agent will accept one. We do not negotiate the rent with the landlord. You and the agent do that.
The letting agent or landlord who asked for the reference. You can sign in to see that it is complete. They may still have their own checks, a guarantor to call, or another applicant they have not answered yet. If you have not heard, ask them. A finished reference is not the same thing as an offer.
Tell us as soon as you notice. A wrong postcode or a missing year is the usual reason a same day file becomes a tomorrow file. Use the contact page and say what the address should have been. Do not start a second application and hope the first one disappears.
A reference looks at information so the agent can decide about this tenancy. It is not a loan application and it is not there to sell you credit. Read the privacy policy if you want the formal version of what is stored and why. If something on your credit file worries you, say so in the form rather than trying to route around it.
Still stuck? Read the help centre or contact the team. If you already know you are ready, the button at the top of this page starts the reference.