Landlords advised to perform tenant checks

Monday, April 12th 2010

Landlords should check the financial backgrounds of their tenants before handing over the keys to their property, the National Landlords Association (NLA) advises.

According to the body, not enough people carry out tenant checks and could suffer as a result.

Chairman of the NLA David Salusbury said: "Tenant checks should not be an optional extra for any landlord … No landlord can afford to make the costly mistake of not checking on a tenant's ability to pay the rent."

The checks look at County Court judgements, bankruptcy searches and references from past landlords.

Costing as little as £8, the checks aim to make sure the tenant will not struggle to pay their rent - leaving their landlord out of pocket.

Mr Salusbury explained landlords should know the track record of their tenants, who could have had difficulty meeting payments in the past.

Representing more than 19,000 members in the UK, the NLA lobbies the government for a fair legal and regulatory environment in the letting industry.