- What is a tenant credit check?
A tenant credit check confirms a prospective tenant's identity and address history. It also reviews their credit record for warning signs such as CCJs, bankruptcy or insolvency. Landlords and letting agents use it to judge the financial risk of an applicant before granting a tenancy.
- How long does a tenant credit check take?
Checks submitted online before 3pm, Monday to Friday, are returned within 2 hours. Some credit checks can comeback within minutes if there is no reason for them to get referred to a case manager for review.
- Does a tenant credit check affect the tenant's credit score?
No. The check is recorded as a soft search, which lenders can't see, so it won't affect the applicant's credit score.
- How much does a tenant credit check cost?
Our Instant ID & Credit Check costs £12.95 ex VAT, with no subscription or set-up fee.
- Can landlords charge the tenant for a credit check?
No. In England, charging tenants for referencing or credit checks is banned under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and similar rules apply in Wales and Scotland. The landlord or letting agent pays.
- Where does the credit information come from?
Credit data comes from Equifax, one of the UK's three main credit reference agencies alongside Experian and TransUnion. The check also screens against the HM Treasury sanctions list, PEP listings, CIFAS and the Halo deceased register
- Can I run a credit check on a guarantor?
Yes. For guarantors we recommend our Guarantor Suitability Check. It adds income confirmation and an affordability assessment, so you can be confident the guarantor could cover the rent if needed.
- Does a tenant credit check include a Right to Rent check?
Not as standard. Right to Rent is a separate legal requirement for landlords in England. You can add it to your check or choose our Tenant Credit Check & Right to Rent package.
- What if my applicant has no UK credit history?
A credit check will return little useful information for someone new to the UK. Our Overseas Tenant Referencing and Referencing Only checks build the assessment from employment, income and landlord references instead.
- Do I need a subscription?
No. Registration is free and every check is pay as you go.
- How far back does a tenant credit check go?
Most information on a UK credit file covers the last six years, including CCJs, defaults, bankruptcies and IVAs. We also ask for your address history for the last 3 years where available, so we can match your credit record correctly.
- Can a landlord refuse me because of bad credit?
Yes. Landlords and letting agents can lawfully consider your credit history when deciding whether to offer a tenancy. However, they can't refuse you because of a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. In England, the Renters' Rights Act also makes it unlawful to refuse a tenant simply because they receive benefits or have children. Decisions must be based on your individual circumstances, such as affordability.
- What can I do if I fail a tenant credit check?
Failing a credit check doesn't have to mean losing the property. You can:
- Ask about a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay the rent if you can't, and is the most common solution.
- Explain your circumstances. An old or satisfied CCJ, or a debt caused by a one-off event such as illness or redundancy, may be viewed differently once explained.
- Register on the electoral roll at your current address. This helps confirm your identity for future applications.
- Is it legal for my landlord to credit check me?
Yes. In the UK, landlords and letting agents can carry out a credit check as part of the tenant referencing process, provided they have a lawful basis to process your personal information under UK GDPR. Credit checks are normally carried out with your knowledge and form part of assessing an applicant’s suitability for a tenancy.
Tenant Screening is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for data protection purposes under registration number ZA775957. We handle personal information in accordance with UK GDPR and applicable data protection legislation.
Tenant Credit Check
Fast credit and ID checks on tenants and guarantors, powered by Equifax and back within 2 hours
Before you hand over the keys, you need two answers. Is the applicant who they say they are? And does their financial history show a pattern of missed payments or unpaid debt? Our Tenant Credit Check answers both.
A tenant credit check from Tenant Screening costs £12.95 ex VAT and is returned within 2 hours (Monday to Friday, submitted before 3pm). It includes an Equifax credit score and consumer report, identity and address verification, a search for CCJs, bankruptcy and insolvency, and screening against sanctions, PEP, CIFAS and deceased registers. UK landlords and letting agents use it to check tenants and guarantors before offering a tenancy.
- Equifax credit score and consumer report. You get a clear acceptability score, backed by data from one of the UK’s main credit reference agencies.
- Identity verification. We confirm the applicant’s identity and address history against the electoral roll and credit data.
- Adverse credit. The check covers County Court Judgments (CCJs), bankruptcy and insolvency records.
- Fraud and compliance screening. It includes HM Treasury sanctions, Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), CIFAS and Halo deceased checks.
- Pay as you go. Checks are £12.95 ex VAT each, with no subscription, set-up fee or credit bundles to buy.
What’s included in a tenant credit check?
Address history and electoral roll
We confirm that the addresses your applicant gave are genuinely theirs. We check the electoral register first. If the applicant isn’t registered at an address, we look for credit agreements and past credit applications linked to it instead. Our linked address search also finds addresses the applicant didn’t mention, which is often where hidden debt shows up.
Identity verification
Every report includes an ID verification profile that cross-references the applicant’s details against multiple data sources. We also search for telephone numbers linked to the applicant, giving you another way to confirm the details on their application.
Credit score and adverse credit history
The Equifax consumer report gives you a credit acceptability score alongside the detail behind it. That detail includes court and insolvency information such as CCJs, bankruptcies and individual voluntary arrangements. You can see at a glance whether an applicant has a history of failing to meet financial commitments.
PEP, sanctions and fraud checks
Each tenant credit check screens the applicant against:
- the HM Treasury financial sanctions list
- Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) listings
- CIFAS, the UK fraud prevention database
- the Halo deceased register, to flag identities belonging to people who have died
How to read your tenant credit check results
A credit report tells you what has happened in an applicant’s financial past. Deciding what it means for your tenancy takes a little more judgement. Here’s how our case managers approach the most common findings.
The credit acceptability score
Your report includes an Equifax acceptability score between 499. A higher score means a lower credit risk. Scores above 100 are generally acceptable. Treat the score as a starting point, and always look at the detail behind it. Two applicants can have similar scores for very different reasons.
County Court Judgments (CCJs)
A CCJ is issued when someone is taken to court over an unpaid debt. Three things matter most.
Is it satisfied or unsatisfied? A satisfied CCJ has been paid in full. An unsatisfied CCJ is still outstanding, which is a more serious concern.
How old is it? In England and Wales, a CCJ stays on a credit file for six years from the date of judgment. The only exception is when it’s paid in full within one calendar month, in which case it can be removed. A small, satisfied CCJ from five years ago says something very different from an unpaid one issued last month.
How much was it for? A modest amount tied to a disputed bill carries less weight than a large debt.
In Scotland, the equivalent of a CCJ is a decree.
Bankruptcy, IVAs and Debt Relief Orders
These are formal insolvency arrangements, and each stays on a credit file for six years from its start date. A current or very recent insolvency means the applicant has limited financial flexibility. An older one that has been discharged or completed may be much less of a concern, particularly if their credit history since then is clean. In Scotland, look for sequestration (bankruptcy) and trust deeds.
Address and identity mismatches
It’s common for renters not to be on the electoral roll, especially younger people and those who move often. On its own, that isn’t a red flag, because we verify addresses through credit agreements and applications instead. It’s more significant if the report shows addresses the applicant didn’t tell you about. Hidden previous addresses can be linked to debt they’d prefer you didn’t see, so ask them about it.
Sanctions and PEP matches
A possible match against the HM Treasury sanctions list must be resolved before you proceed. Common names can create false matches, so first confirm whether the details genuinely belong to your applicant. A Politically Exposed Person (PEP) listing isn’t a reason to refuse a tenancy. It simply means the applicant holds, or is connected to someone who holds, a prominent public role.
CIFAS and deceased register alerts
A CIFAS marker means fraud-related activity has been recorded against the identity. Read the detail carefully. Some markers are “Protective Registrations”, which the applicant has placed themselves after being a victim of identity theft, and these are not a warning sign. A match against the Halo deceased register means the identity details belong to someone who has died. That’s a strong fraud warning, and you shouldn’t proceed without further verification.
Little or no credit history
Students, young adults and people new to the UK often have a “thin” credit file with little data. This doesn’t mean they’re a poor tenant, only that a credit check can’t tell you much.
Who uses our tenant credit checks?
Tenant Screening has provided credit checks and referencing since 2008. Our checks are used by:
- Private landlords who let and manage their own properties
- Letting agents who need fast, consistent checks across a busy portfolio
- HMO landlords who check several individual tenants in one property (HMO tenant screening)
- Student letting businesses, where applicants often have little credit history (Student lettings referencing)
- Property management companies
- Anyone checking a guarantor, which you can do with our Guarantor Suitability Check
How does a tenant credit check work?
- Register or log in. Creating an account is free, and you only pay when you run a check.
- Add your applicant. Enter their details yourself, or send them an online application to complete. You review it before we begin.
- We run the checks. We search Equifax, verify identity and screen against the sanctions, PEP and fraud databases.
- Get your report. Your report arrives by email within 2 hours and is stored securely in your dashboard.
Is a credit check enough on its own?
A tenant credit check tells you whether someone has managed credit well in the past. It doesn’t tell you whether they can afford this rent, or how they treated their last home.
For many lets, especially where the rent is a large share of the applicant’s income, it’s worth upgrading to a Full Tenant Profile. That adds verified income, employment confirmation and a previous landlord reference, reviewed by one of our case managers.
Not sure if an applicant can afford the rent? Try our free Rent Affordability Calculator.
Tenant credit check FAQs
Start your first tenant credit check today
Register for free and get your first report back within 2 hours. Questions? Call our team on 01793 847014 or email info@tenantscreening.co.uk.
Our Referencing Packages
Instant ID & Credit Check
Immediate background history & credit report-
Instant Credit Report
-
ID Verification & Report
-
Telephone Number retrieval
-
Linked address search
-
Court & Insolvency Information
Full Tenant Profile
Full ID, credit, employment & landlord referencing report-
Instant ID & Credit Check
-
Employment referencing
-
Income Confirmation - salary, benefits, pensions and other income sources
-
Bank account validation
-
Landlord referencing
Referencing Only
Ideal for individuals who are from overseas and never had a UK residential address-
Employment reference – confirming employment status and annual salary
-
Confirm any additional forms of income being used for the tenancy
-
Landlord reference – confirming any defaults in rent payment and property tidiness, even if from overseas
Guarantor Suitability Check
Check an individuals’ suitability to act as a guarantor for the tenancy-
Instant Credit Report
-
ID Verification & Report
-
Income Confirmation - salary, benefits, pensions and other income sources
-
Affordability Check ensuring individual is able to support their own living along with paying into a tenancy if required
Rent Protection Full Tenant Profile
Check that meets the criteria for taking out Rent Protection-
Enhanced CCJ checks to meeting rent protection criteria
-
Instant Credit Report
-
ID Verification & Report
-
Employment Referencing
-
Income Confirmation
-
Landlord referencing
Tenant Referencing in 4 Simple Stages...
Tenant Screening provides a quick, easy & affordable way to reference your prospective tenants. Offering Credit Checks, Income Referencing and Current Landlord checking services
Application
Our System
Information Gathering
