Below is a list of questions and answers that we thought you may find helpful, however, should there be anything else you may wish to ask us- we are always here to help.

Q: Why do I need to be referenced?

A: As you can appreciate, your letting agent or landlord needs to ensure that their property is going to be taken care of and respected. Without referencing, it is impossible for them to determine whether you can afford the rent and even whether you have taken care of your previous residence.

Q: What other information could I include in my application that may improve my chances of being approved?

A: At Rentshield, one of our biggest grievances is a dishonest application! And any untruthful information on your application will automatically result in a fail. When we ask about adverse history and CCJ’s, ANY poor credit should be stated here as we do a comprehensive credit check and sometimes they will bring up missed payments from up to 6 years ago. It is a sensible idea to write a note in the ‘additional information’ section of the application explaining anything of this nature, as, unlike many of our competitors, we will look at each applicant individually and avoid putting you in a box.

Q: If I have previous adverse credit, how will this affect my application?

A: So long as you have been truthful on your application with regards to your credit history we will look at each case individually. The most common outcomes for applicants with adverse history are to pay the full rental amount in advance or provide a suitable guarantor. If the CCJ is a particularly large amount, it is also a sensible idea to state this on the application.

Q: Why do I need to provide my income?

A: We need to ensure that you are able to meet the rental requirements. We then must ensure that the figure you have provided us with is correct so we confirm this with a third party- i.e. an authorised member of staff at your workplace that can disclose income information (e.g. payroll, personnel, human resources or manager)

Q: I haven’t handed in my notice for the property I’m in at the moment- will you need to contact my current landlord/letting agent?

A: Yes, we need to contact your current landlord or letting agent in order to see how you have conducted your current tenancy. This is a vital part of our referencing as it will give us an idea of the type of tenant you are.

Q: Why would I need to provide a guarantor?

A: We would normally ask for a guarantor if:

•  Your income does not meet the requirements
•  You are unable to provide sufficient proof of your income
•  You have adverse history
•  You are a student
•  You are unemployed
•  You are in receipt of housing benefits
•  You are in a temporary contract of employment
•  A very low credit score

This guarantor would be liable for the rental should you not be able to pay it.


Q: I am relocating and am starting a new job - should I provide you with these details or my current employers?

A: We would require both the new employer’s details and your current employer. If the new position has been confirmed, by providing us with your letter of engagement or contract, not only will you speed up you application but it will also mean that we won’t need to contact your new employers, saving them from any hassle before you even begin working there!


Q: I hope to move in really quickly- what can I do to speed up the process?

A: The most common factor in holding up applications is either the employer or the landlord/letting agents. If you inform the relevant person at your place of employment that we will be contacting them and do the same with your landlord/letting agents this will no doubt speed things up.

If you work for a large institution such as a County Council, NHS or the Armed Forces ensure that you have provided us with the correct number to the relevant department to provide us with your reference and inform the relevant person. In many cases with large institutions they will require something, in writing, from you to confirm that you are happy for us to gain information regarding your employment.

It should be noted that the employer’s reference in question is not a personal or character reference. It is simply factual information we require with regards to your salary, position, start date and whether your position is permanent.


Q: I am not employed or have a low income- but planning on using savings/equity from the sale of property- what will you need me to provide?

A: In this instance we would require either a recent bank statement, solicitors letter confirming the sale of your house and the equity you will have received or your solicitors contact details so that we can confirm this directly with them. (they will need to be contacted by you to confirm that it is acceptable for them to release your information)


Q: I am unemployed and will be receiving benefits to pay for the rent- how will you confirm my income?

A: We would need you to provide us with any proof of income. When you receive benefits you should have statements from HM Revenue & Customs stating the exact amount you receive each month/week. We will need to see these to confirm your exact income.


Q: I am self employed, what will you need from me?

A: In the case of self employed applicants, the easiest thing for us to do is to contact you accountant. If you speak to your accountant first and let them know that we will be contacting them, they should then get back to us quite quickly. If you do not have an accountant then your self assessment forms should be provided. Bank statements are not sufficient proof of self employment.


Q: I am retired, what will you need from me?

A: We would need you to provide us with any proof of income. If you receive a number of pensions, the easiest way for us to confirm your income is for you to provide us with the statements from the relevant pension companies. We tend to have problems and delays when requesting information form pension administrators.