Finding a rental property you want to call home is the exciting part. Once your offer is accepted, however, there are a few important checks to complete before the tenancy can go ahead. Two of the main ones are tenant referencing and Right to Rent checks.
They often happen at roughly the same stage, but they are not the same thing. Referencing helps a landlord or letting agent assess your application, while Right to Rent is a legal check that applies to adult occupiers of rented homes in England.
If you are preparing to rent in Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Canada Water, Surrey Quays, Deptford, New Cross, Peckham or elsewhere in South East London, having the right documents ready can make the process much smoother. If you are still looking for your next home, you can browse Alex & Matteo’s current properties to rent before starting your application
Tenant referencing is the process used by a landlord or letting agent to understand whether an applicant is likely to be suitable for a tenancy. There is no single identical process used for every property, but it will usually involve checking some combination of your identity, income, employment, previous tenancy history and credit information.
You may be asked to provide recent payslips, proof of employment, bank statements or other income evidence, details of a previous landlord and permission for a credit check. If you are self-employed, a student, newly employed or have a less straightforward income pattern, you may be asked for additional evidence.
This is not necessarily a problem. The important thing is to explain your circumstances early and provide accurate information. Alex & Matteo’s first-time renter checklist is a useful starting point if you want to get your documents organised before applying for a property.
A typical reference may include some or all of the following:
Different landlords may have different requirements, so passing one referencing process does not automatically mean every landlord would make the same decision. If anything in your application needs explaining, it is normally better to raise it with the agent at the beginning rather than wait for it to appear during the checks.
Right to Rent is separate from financial referencing. In England, landlords and letting agents must check that every adult who will occupy a rented property as their only or main home has the right to rent before the tenancy agreement is entered into.
The requirement applies regardless of nationality. It is not simply a check for people who have moved to the UK from overseas. Landlords and agents are expected to carry out checks consistently and must not discriminate against prospective tenants because of their nationality, race or the way they are able to prove their status.
The Home Office updated its Right to Rent guidance on 1 October 2026, including changes around digital verification and acceptable evidence. That makes it particularly important to follow the current process rather than relying on an old checklist found online.
The evidence you use depends on your circumstances. British and Irish citizens can usually establish their Right to Rent using eligible identity documents, such as a passport, or through an eligible registered digital verification route.
People with an eVisa or another immigration status that can be checked online may instead use the Home Office online service. In that situation, you will normally provide the landlord or agent with a Right to Rent share code and your date of birth so they can complete the official check.
There are also situations where a manual document check or the Home Office Landlord Checking Service may be appropriate. Your letting agent should tell you which evidence is required for your circumstances.
If your immigration status can be checked online, you can generate a Right to Rent share code through the government service. The code allows the landlord or letting agent to access your official Right to Rent record.
The agent cannot simply rely on a screenshot or printout that you show them. They need to use the share code and your date of birth to access the Home Office service directly and confirm that the record belongs to you.
Make sure the code you generate is specifically for proving your Right to Rent. Government share codes can be used for different purposes, so providing the wrong type can create an avoidable delay.
The check must be completed before the tenancy agreement is entered into. Where someone has a time-limited Right to Rent, the prescribed check should be carried out no earlier than 28 calendar days before the tenancy agreement is entered into.
If your Right to Rent is time limited, a follow-up check may also be required later. This does not mean you are a less suitable tenant. It simply reflects the legal process that landlords and letting agents must follow.
In England, ordinary tenant referencing costs cannot simply be added as a separate fee for the tenant. The Tenant Fees Act limits the payments that landlords and letting agents can require.
A refundable holding deposit may be requested while reference and pre-tenancy checks are carried out, subject to the applicable statutory rules.
Most delays are caused by missing information rather than anything unusual. Employers or previous landlords may take time to respond, documents may show different versions of a name or address, or a referencing company may need further evidence before it can complete its report.
A few simple steps can help: have your documents ready, make sure your application details are accurate, warn your employer or previous landlord that they may be contacted and reply quickly if the agent asks you for clarification.
If you are still at the viewing stage, Alex & Matteo’s tenant’s guide to property viewings can also help you ask the right questions before you decide to apply.
Not every tenant has a standard monthly salary and a long employment history. Self-employed applicants may be asked for accounts, tax documents or other evidence of earnings. Students may need to show savings, funding or provide a guarantor. Someone who has recently started a job may be asked for an employment contract or confirmation from their employer.
A guarantor may also need to complete their own reference checks. If you think you may need one, mention this at the start of the application so the paperwork can be handled alongside your own reference rather than becoming a last-minute delay.
A reference result does not always amount to a simple pass or fail. A landlord may decide that more information is needed, ask for a guarantor or consider whether another arrangement is appropriate.
The outcome will depend on the reason behind the issue. A genuine mistake in an address history is very different from deliberately providing misleading information. If the referencing provider raises a question, speak to the letting agent and find out exactly what needs to be clarified.
Before you make an offer, it is worth having the following ready:
The wider rules around renting have changed considerably in recent years. If you want an overview of the current framework, Alex & Matteo’s Renters’ Rights Act guide explains some of the most important changes affecting tenants and landlords.
Referencing and Right to Rent checks can feel like a lot of paperwork when you are keen to secure a property, but preparation makes a real difference. If you provide accurate information, respond promptly and have your documents ready, the process is usually much more straightforward.
Alex & Matteo works with tenants and landlords throughout South East London, including Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Canada Water, Surrey Quays, Deptford, New Cross and Peckham. If you are looking for your next rental home, view the latest properties to rent and speak to the team if you have questions about the application process.
There is no fixed timescale. It depends on how quickly the applicant, employer, previous landlord and referencing provider supply the information required. Having your documents ready and warning referees in advance can help reduce delays.
The check applies to every adult who will occupy the property as their only or main home in England, even if that person is not named on a written tenancy agreement.
Ordinary tenant referencing costs are not a separate permitted fee under the Tenant Fees Act. Any permitted payments requested as part of the application process are subject to the relevant statutory rules.
It is a code generated through the government service that allows a landlord or letting agent to access an eligible applicant’s current Right to Rent record online. The code is used with the applicant’s date of birth.
Share codes are time limited, so it is best to generate one when the landlord or letting agent asks for it rather than too far in advance. If a code has expired, you can normally generate a new one.
A landlord or letting agent may need to carry out a follow-up check later to maintain the required legal record. The initial check for a time-limited Right to Rent must be completed within the prescribed period before the tenancy agreement is entered into.
Yes, but you may be asked for different evidence of affordability. This could include accounts, tax information, a new employment contract, savings evidence or a guarantor, depending on the landlord’s requirements.
Right to Rent requirements can change, so tenants should always follow the current instructions provided by their letting agent and the latest government guidance when completing a check.
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