22nd September 2018
Q: My tenant has signed a tenancy agreement and is due to move in soon. But, his references have not come through yet. What should I do?
A: I would always recommend for agreements to be signed only once the tenants have passed references.
If you have an agent working for you, now is the time to apply the pressure and give them a call. They should not have allowed this to happen. If you are handling the referencing, the first step would be to inform the tenants that they can’t have access to the property until they achieve a pass. Inform them of what is outstanding and get them on the case as well as you.
I do not recommend that you let them move in without the references. If the references do not come back in time, I suggest that you tell the tenant they are not starting the contract on the agreed date, and you will have to redraft another agreement.
Sometimes, a tenant might offer to pay two or three months in advance; however, don’t bite their hands off at this time, as this might be the last payment you see from them once the money has run out! Without references you have no idea who you are letting in.
Richard Bond
