Vet a tenant properly, and fairly.
Picking the wrong tenant is the costliest mistake a landlord can make. Work through the checks that matter, affordability, references, credit and guarantor cover, get a clear risk indication with the flags spelled out, and keep a record you can file. Free, no sign-up.
This is a guide to help you organise your own checks, not a credit decision, an affordability guarantee or legal advice. You must vet lawfully and must not discriminate: under the Equality Act 2010 you cannot reject an applicant on a protected characteristic, and blanket "no DSS / no benefits" or "no children" rules have been found unlawfully discriminatory. Right to Rent checks are a legal requirement in England. Nothing you type here leaves your browser.
How to vet a tenant fairly.
Check that the rent is affordable. The common letting rule of thumb is that gross annual income should be at least around 30 times the monthly rent, the same as income being at least 2.5 times the rent each month. Don't take a stated figure on trust. Ask for payslips, an employer's letter, or for the self-employed an SA302 tax calculation and accounts. Verify what you're told.
Always take references in writing. A previous landlord reference is one of the most useful signals you can get: did they pay on time, look after the place, and give proper notice? Get it in writing, and be wary if the only contact is a mobile number with no paper trail. A current employer can confirm the role and income.
Run a credit and referencing check, with consent. With the applicant's permission you can run a credit and referencing check that surfaces County Court Judgments, defaults and bankruptcies. A clear history is reassuring; a CCJ isn't an automatic no, but you should ask for context and proof that any debt has been settled.
Know the difference between lawful and unlawful. You can decline an applicant on affordability, references or credit. You cannot decline on a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, things like race, sex, disability, religion, pregnancy or age. Blanket bans on benefit claimants or on families with children have been ruled unlawfully discriminatory, so judge each applicant on the facts that actually bear on the tenancy.
Understand what a guarantor or insurance does. A guarantor, ideally a UK homeowner, agrees in writing to cover the rent if the tenant doesn't, which can make a borderline case workable. Rent guarantee insurance is a separate option that pays out if the tenant stops paying, usually conditional on proper referencing having been done first. Neither replaces good vetting; they cushion it.
Vet them once, then stay on top of it.
Stead keeps each tenancy in one place: the references and right-to-rent record, the deposit and its protection deadline, rent due and received, and the gas, EICR and EPC dates that keep the let compliant.