Information. Reputation. Leverage.
Build, verify and carry a Reputation Record shaped by evidence, responses and resolution — not anonymous stars.
Before you say yes to a tenant, there are six things worth verifying. This decision checklist tells you what each check proves and when to proceed, pause or decline.
Accepting a tenant is one of the largest financial decisions a landlord makes. The goal of verification is not to find a perfect applicant but to confirm the facts that matter and spot the risks that can be managed. Here are the six things to verify, what each proves, and how to turn the results into a decision.
Verify: a government-issued photo ID, checked against the person in front of you or through a reputable digital verification service.
Proves: the applicant is a real person using their own name.
Red flag: reluctance to show original documents or to verify digitally.
Verify: any immigration or right-to-rent checks required where the property is located.
Proves: you are meeting your legal obligations.
Important: apply the same checks to every applicant to avoid discrimination.
Verify: payslips, an employment contract, bank statements or accountant's letters for the self-employed; a guarantor where appropriate.
Proves: the rent is realistically payable.
Red flag: documents with inconsistent formatting or figures that do not match bank deposits.
Verify: previous addresses and landlords, contacted through details you find independently.
Proves: the applicant's account of their housing history is true.
Ask: did rent arrive on time, how was the property left, would you rent to them again? See the full reference check guide.
Verify: the employer exists and confirms employment, with the applicant's consent.
Proves: the income is real and current.
Verify: how past problems were handled, not just whether they happened.
Proves: the difference between a tenant who hit a hard patch and communicated, and one who disappeared.
Source: previous landlords, and a Reputation Record where the applicant shares one.
Race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, disability, family status, pregnancy and other protected characteristics — and, in many places, source of income. Read fair tenant screening.
Note which checks were completed, what they showed and why you decided as you did. A clear record protects you if a decision is ever questioned — and makes your process consistent.
Right-to-rent rules, deposit limits and permitted checks differ by country and region.
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