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Screening is the highest-leverage hour of any tenancy. A well-screened tenant costs almost nothing to manage; a poorly screened one can cost thousands in arrears, damage and the time it takes to end the tenancy. But screening is also legally delicate: the same documented criteria must apply to every applicant, protected characteristics are off-limits everywhere, and your records are your defence if a rejected applicant challenges the decision. This guide walks the core checks — income evidence, rental history from real previous landlords, and references — plus the fair-housing lines you must never cross, the way to handle sensitive application data, and the documentation habit that keeps every decision defensible.
The essentials of screening tenants fairly and legally — income checks, rental history, references and what you may never ask, in one practical guide.
Income evidence showing the rent is affordable (typically no more than about a third of take-home), rental history from previous landlords or agents, and a reference from an employer or guarantor. Run the same checks on every applicant and record the results.
Anything touching protected grounds — race, religion, family status, disability, and in most places source of income. You may not ask, and you may not quietly factor in answers you did not ask for. Stick to documented financial and rental-history criteria.
Collect it through a secure channel, keep it confidential, and dispose of it after the tenancy starts. Applications carry ID, bank statements and payslips — exactly what identity thieves harvest, and data-protection breaches are a growing landlord liability.
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