Section 21 'no fault' evictions are abolished from 1 May 2026. You can no longer remove a tenant without a legally valid reason. This makes getting your tenant right at the start the most important thing you can do as a landlord.
What a standard reference check actually tells you
Most landlords rely on a standard tenant reference — typically a credit check, employer reference call, and previous landlord contact. Services like OpenRent offer this for around £30 per applicant.
This tells you whether your applicant has been formally credit-blacklisted and whether their stated employer will pick up the phone. It does not tell you:
- Whether their employer actually exists and employs them
- Whether they have county court judgments that haven't yet affected their credit score
- Whether anyone else moving in has a problematic history
- Whether their stated address history has unexplained gaps
- Whether there are previous tenancy disputes in public records
- Whether their digital footprint is consistent with who they say they are
With Section 21 gone, the cost of relying on a £30 tick-box has increased significantly.
What you should actually check — and where
1. Identity and address history
Cross-reference the name and date of birth against the electoral roll. Look for gaps in address history — someone who rented for two years but can't account for the address is a flag worth exploring. Inconsistencies between what they've told you and what public records show are worth understanding before you hand over keys.
2. County court judgments (CCJs)
The Registry Trust holds a public register of all county court judgments in England and Wales. A CCJ doesn't automatically disqualify a tenant — a satisfied CCJ from three years ago is very different from an active one from last month. But you need to know either way.
3. Insolvency and bankruptcy
The Insolvency Register is freely searchable. A current IVA or recent bankruptcy is a significant financial risk indicator for anyone you're relying on to pay rent reliably every month.
4. Employer verification
Don't just call the number they give you. Verify the company exists on Companies House. Check that the employer has the number of employees that would make their stated role plausible. A company dissolved three months ago cannot currently employ your applicant, regardless of what their payslip says.
5. Everyone who will live there — not just the lead applicant
This is the gap that standard referencing doesn't address. The lead applicant can be entirely clean. The person moving in with them is your risk too. Ask for the full names and dates of birth of all adults who will occupy the property, and check each one.
We search 14 public sources across all named occupants and deliver a plain English verdict within 48 hours — £199 for up to 2 adults, £249 for 3 or more.
See what's included →6. Digital footprint and social media
A LinkedIn profile inconsistent with their stated employer, a Facebook account that doesn't match the identity they've given you, or a complete absence of any digital presence for someone who claims a professional career — these are all things worth checking. None of them are conclusive on their own, but patterns matter.
7. Rent tribunal and previous tenancy dispute history
HMCTS First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) records are searchable. A previous tenant who took their landlord to tribunal over a deposit dispute may have been entirely justified — or may have been a difficult tenant. The details matter.
What you cannot check — and why that's fine
You cannot access someone's criminal record without their consent. DBS checks require the subject to apply themselves, and only certain roles legally require them for tenancy purposes. This is not the loss it might seem — court reporters cover criminal cases, local papers name defendants, and a sustained pattern of criminal behaviour often shows up in public records through other routes.
The more useful frame is this: you're not looking for a conviction. You're looking for patterns, inconsistencies, and gaps. Those are findable.
Questions to ask every applicant before proceeding
A good reference check should generate questions, not just answers. Based on what you find, consider asking:
- Can you explain the gap in your address history between [date] and [date]?
- Your employer [name] doesn't appear to have a Companies House registration — can you help me understand that?
- I can see a CCJ from [year] — can you tell me more about that and confirm it's been resolved?
- Will anyone else be living in the property regularly? I'll need their full name and date of birth for our standard checks.
How an applicant responds to direct questions is itself a signal. Someone with nothing to hide generally has straightforward answers.
The new legal landscape — what changes from 1 May 2026
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, you can only regain possession of your property through legally defined Section 8 grounds — things like rent arrears of two months or more, anti-social behaviour, or significant damage to the property. The process involves the courts and typically takes several months.
The financial exposure of a bad tenant — unpaid rent during a 6-12 month legal process, plus legal costs, plus potential property damage — is typically between £10,000 and £20,000. Knowing your tenant properly before you hand over the keys is worth significantly more than the cost of finding out after the fact.
Decoder Verify covers all named occupants, 14 public sources, and delivers a plain English verdict with recommended questions to ask before you sign. £199 for 1-2 occupants.
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