How to File a Referencing Decision Before You Make an Offer

You nearly offered on vibe after a viewing. File a referencing decision before the offer: write objective criteria before applications open, run the same pack with written consent on every adult, score affordability with all income counted equally, and finish with one dated accept or decline line that names the criterion. Right to Rent stays on its own diary.

Tuesday, one flat in Leeds. After viewings Mira picks “the nicest couple” and takes a holding deposit. Referencing starts afterwards: one applicant sends three payslips; the other is asked for bank statements because “credit looked thin”; benefit income on an award letter is left out of the sum. When the declined applicant asks why, there is no criteria card and no dated decision line — only an agency “refer” badge and a WhatsApp.

The surprising bit: under England’s rental-discrimination rules from 1 May 2026, you may refuse someone who genuinely fails a set income requirement — but only if all forms of income, including state benefits, are counted equally and the same requirement applies to every applicant. GOV.UK uses ignoring benefit income so the applicant “fails affordability” as the trap example. Typical mistake: treating the vibe as the decision.

Disclaimer: IziRento is operations software, not legal advice. Local tenancy rules vary; check a qualified adviser for binding decisions.

What to put on the criteria card before applications open?

Write the criteria card before you open applications — not after you like someone. Fix one affordability rule, list acceptable income proofs, say whether you run a credit check, and list previous-landlord facts you will ask. The same card applies to every adult on this let.

Do pick one rule and write it once. NRLA affordability practice: multiply monthly rent by 30; if that figure is no more than annual salary, rent is treated as affordable. Trade guides also use 2.5 to 3 times annual rent — do not mix both mid-process. For example, £1,000 a month under a 30× rule means verified annual income of at least £30,000.

List proofs you will accept: last three months’ payslips plus an employer reference; SA302 or HMRC tax overview for self-employed; pension or benefit letters; bank statements only where your card already says so. NRLA’s referencing guide treats a credit check as needing written permission. Do not invent a harder pack mid-process.

How do you run the same pack on every adult applicant?

Collect the same pack with consent for every adult on the proposed tenancy. Identity basics, income evidence from your list, employment or self-employed documents, previous-landlord contact you verify yourself, and a credit report only if your card says so. One tab per applicant under the property or let.

Do not invent a lighter pack for “the nice couple.” NRLA’s checklist stresses clear audit trails. Typical mistake: asking one applicant for bank statements only because credit “looked thin”, when that ask was never on the card for everyone.

Prefer finishing this decision file before you treat someone as chosen. If a holding deposit is already live, keep the money clocks on the holding-deposit record — GOV.UK fees guidance (updated 7 July 2026): max one week’s rent; honest failed referencing is not a keep-it ground.

Which affordability rule counts benefit income the same as wages?

Score every adult against the written criteria, counting benefit and other income on equal footing. Do not invent a harder pack mid-process. If affordability is short, decide a guarantor route or decline — still on the criteria.

Do include state benefits the same way as wages. GOV.UK’s landlord guide (guidance updated 6 May 2026) says set the same income requirement for all and treat benefits and pension equally. You may refuse genuine unaffordability once income is counted correctly. Do not use children or benefits status as a tie-break among those who meet the rule.

If verified income is short and a guarantor may bridge the gap, open the guarantor paperwork file. Do not leave Mira’s award letter out of the sum so one couple “fails” while the vibe couple “passes”.

What does a one-line accept or decline look like?

Write one dated accept or decline line that quotes the criterion that decided it. Do not leave the decision as an unexplained agency pass, refer, or fail badge. The reason must map to the criteria card you already wrote.

Do use a shape you can show later. For example: “2026-09-25 decline — combined verified income £24,000 vs rule £30,000 (30 × rent).” Or: “2026-09-25 accept — criteria met; guarantor pack opened for share gap.” NRLA on failed checks: read the full report against what they told you — write the reason before the label.

When two applicants both pass, use a non-discriminatory tie-break you already stated — complete pack first, or lawful holding-deposit timing — not children or benefits status.

Where does Right to Rent sit beside this decision file?

Park Right to Rent — the immigration check that every adult who will use the home as their only or main home still needs before grant — on its own diary. Note the tick on this decision sheet, then stop. Do not walk through share codes here.

Do keep the files apart. Referencing is a risk assessment before you grant a tenancy; Right to Rent is a separate statutory check. GOV.UK Right to Rent requires checks on all adults aged 18+, with time-limited rights often checked in the 28 days before start. In practice the decision line can say “accept — criteria met; Right to Rent diary opened.”

This article is England-facing. An outgoing reference for a former tenant is the opposite direction — see the former-tenant reference letter guide.

Before you delete declined applicants’ packs, set a retention rule

Keep declined packs only as long as a written retention rule justifies, then erase or anonymise. Successful packs stay with the tenancy file. Do not leave declined PDFs forever in email.

Do document a period you can justify. ICO storage limitation: keep personal data no longer than necessary, document retention periods, then erase or anonymise. The ICO does not fix a “six months for declined applicants” clock — that figure is trade practice, not statute. Draft the wider schedule on the tenant-record retention schedule.

Success bar: criteria card before applications; same pack with consent for every adult; affordability with benefits counted; one dated accept or decline that quotes the criterion; Right to Rent on its own diary; declined packs under a written retention rule. Workflow: criteria → same pack → score → dated decision → RtR tick → retain or erase.