- Tenant referencing is a set of checks a landlord or letting agent runs before offering you a tenancy, usually covering your identity, right to rent, income, credit history and previous renting.
- Failing referencing doesn't automatically mean losing the property, because landlords in England can still choose to rent to you, sometimes if you can provide extra evidence or a guarantor.
- If you can afford the rent but failed because you don't have UK credit history or a UK-based guarantor, Rentmigo may be able to act as your guarantor instead.
You've found a flat, had your offer accepted and paid a holding deposit. Then the referencing result comes back as a fail, or as "accept with guarantor", and you're left wondering whether the property is about to go to someone else.
If you find yourself in this position, don't panic. You have options!
If the only thing standing between you and the tenancy is a UK guarantor you don't have, Rentmigo can act as your guarantor for you. Simply sign up today and you can be approved within hours!
What is tenant referencing?
Tenant referencing is a background and financial check that helps a landlord decide whether you're likely to pay the rent and look after the property. It's usually run by the letting agent or a referencing company working for them.
It normally happens after your offer is accepted and you've paid a holding deposit.
That's a payment of up to one week's rent that takes the property off the market while the checks are done. It's separate from the tenancy deposit you pay later, which has to be protected in a government-backed scheme.
Only one part of referencing is a legal requirement: the Right to Rent check. Everything else is the landlord's or agent's own policy, which is why the criteria can change from one property to the next.
What do landlords and letting agents check?
Identity and Right to Rent
In England, landlords must check that you have the legal right to rent in the UK. British and Irish citizens usually show a passport, while visa holders normally prove their status online with a share code. This check doesn't apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Income and affordability
Agents check that the rent looks affordable based on your income. A commonly used benchmark is annual income of around 30 times the monthly rent.
As a hypothetical example, if the rent is £1,200 a month, an agent using that benchmark would expect you to earn about £36,000 a year. Not every agent uses the same figure, and some will count savings, student finance or family support while others won't.
Employment
The referencing company will usually contact your employer to confirm your job, salary and contract type. Being on probation, on a zero-hours contract or recently self-employed can make this part harder, even if you earn enough.
Credit history
A credit reference agency like Experian, Equifax or TransUnion will show whether you have County Court Judgments (CCJs), defaults, bankruptcy or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, which is a formal plan to repay debts.
Having no UK credit history is a different problem from having bad credit. If you've just moved to the UK, there may be nothing on file at all, and some checks treat that as a fail. Our guide to renting without a UK credit history covers this in more detail.
Previous landlord reference
Your current or last landlord may be asked whether you paid on time and left the property in good condition. If this is your first UK tenancy, you won't have one, which can work against you.
Why do people fail tenant referencing?
Most people fail because their income falls short of the agent's threshold, there's a problem on their credit file, or some of their information couldn't be confirmed.
Common reasons include:
- income below the agent's affordability benchmark
- no UK credit history or rental history
- CCJs, defaults or missed payments, which can stay on your credit file for six years
- an employer or previous landlord not responding
- income that standard checks struggle with, such as overseas earnings, student finance or freelance work
- a poor reference from a previous landlord
Results aren't always a simple pass or fail. Many referencing companies also use a middle result, often worded along the lines of "accept with guarantor", which means the agent will go ahead if someone guarantees your rent.
Two outcomes are much harder to recover from: failing the Right to Rent check and giving false or misleading information.
Can a landlord still rent to you if you fail referencing?
Yes, apart from the Right to Rent check, landlords in England are free to decide who they rent to, whatever the referencing report says.
What happens to your holding deposit?
Failing an affordability or credit check doesn't, on its own, allow the landlord or agent to keep your holding deposit. It normally has to be refunded unless an exception applies, such as:
- you gave false or misleading information
- you failed the Right to Rent check
- you pulled out of the tenancy
- you didn't take reasonable steps to agree the tenancy by the deadline
If none of these apply, it must usually be refunded within seven days of the landlord deciding not to go ahead.
What to do if you fail tenant referencing
Find out exactly why
Ask the agent for the specific reason. A fail caused by a missing employer reference needs a very different fix from a fail on affordability.
You also have the right to ask the referencing company for the personal data it holds about you, and you can check your own credit file for free with the main credit reference agencies.
Give extra evidence or an explanation
The right documents depend on the problem. They might include:
- recent bank statements showing regular income or savings
- an employment contract or offer letter
- tax returns or an accountant's letter if you're self-employed
- proof that a debt or CCJ has been settled
- student finance, scholarship or sponsorship letters
Offer a guarantor
A guarantor is someone who agrees to pay your rent if you don't. Agents usually want someone who lives in the UK, has good credit and earns well above the rent, often around 36 times the monthly rent, although this varies.
If your family lives abroad, they may not qualify even if they could easily cover the rent. You can read more about who can be a guarantor in the UK and whether parents overseas can act as a guarantor.
Use a professional rent guarantor
Rentmigo acts as a UK-based guarantor for tenants who can afford the rent but can't meet the usual guarantor requirements. The application takes around five to ten minutes, and you can combine income sources like salary, self-employment income, student loans, scholarships, family support and savings.
The fee is between two weeks' and one month's share of the rent, depending on your application, and never more than one month's rent. You pay it once and it covers up to three years at that property.
Before you apply, it helps to know that:
- you should check your landlord or agent accepts professional guarantors first
- Rentmigo runs its own affordability checks, so it isn't a way around rent you can't afford
- if Rentmigo ever pays missed rent for you, you'll need to pay that money back
You can see how Rentmigo works or read about whether professional guarantors are accepted by all landlords.
Can you pay rent in advance instead?
Not in the way many renters used to. Since 1 May 2026, landlords and agents in England can't ask for or accept rent before the tenancy agreement is signed, and once it's signed they can ask for no more than one month's rent before you move in (GOV.UK).
That means offering six months upfront is no longer an option for new tenancies in England. Offering a bigger tenancy deposit won't work either, as deposits are capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks' rent above that. Our guide on how the Renters' Rights Act affects international tenants explains the changes.
Can international students and new arrivals pass referencing?
Yes, but the result often comes back as "guarantor required". Standard checks rely on UK credit history, UK payslips and UK landlord references, and you haven't had time to build those yet.
Our guide on what landlords check when renting to international students explains more, and our page on rent guarantors for international students shows how Rentmigo can help.
Failed referencing and don't have a guarantor?
Start by asking the agent one question: would they accept a professional guarantor instead? If the answer is yes, you may not need to lose the property.
If you can afford the rent but don't have anyone in the UK who meets their guarantor requirements, check whether Rentmigo can act as your guarantor.
If you're approved, Rentmigo gives your landlord the guarantee they asked for, without you having to find someone in the UK to sign.
