NRLA tenant referencing vs RentFig
The NRLA sells tenant referencing powered by Goodlord at £23.40 for members and £40.20 for non-members, inc. VAT, with landlord membership from £125 a year. RentFig charges £19 for a full reference and £9 for a credit check (£17 and £7 with a free account), no membership needed. That's less than half the non-member price, and our full reference includes a digital Right to Rent check, which the NRLA sells as an extra (£7.20 for members, £19.20 for non-members). Our credit check is open to anyone; the NRLA's is members only. Where the NRLA has the edge is covered below.
RentFig vs NRLA at a glance
Prices are paid by the landlord (the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans charging the tenant). Residential lettings are VAT-exempt, so a landlord can't reclaim VAT on a reference — the inc-VAT figure is the real cost.
| Feature | RentFig | NRLA (Goodlord) |
|---|---|---|
| Full tenant reference | £19 (£17 with a free account) | £23.40 members, £40.20 non-members, inc. VAT |
| Faster / premium tier | None — one full reference | Priority reference: £36.00 members, £50.40 non-members, inc. VAT |
| Credit check | £9 (£7 with a free account), anyone can order | Members only, from £12 (TransUnion; £12 / £13 / £14 for 1 / 2 / 3 addresses) |
| Membership needed for the lower price | No — the £7 / £17 prices need only a free account | Yes — landlord membership from £125 a year |
| Digital Right to Rent | Included in the full reference, through Yoti (on the GOV.UK digital verification services register), for British and Irish passports; others use a Home Office share code | ID Upgrade bolt-on: £7.20 members, £19.20 non-members, for UK or Irish passport holders. Priority includes Right to Rent documentation collection |
| What the full reference lists | ID, credit history, income & affordability, employer & previous-landlord references, anti-fraud | Credit, residential history, identification, income & affordability; anti-fraud technology; free PEPs and sanctions checks |
| Turnaround | Credit check can be back the same day once the applicant completes the form; full reference usually up to 7 working days | “On average, references are returned in just 26 hours, with one in three completed instantly”; credit check results “within minutes” |
| Insurable reference | No — RentFig doesn’t offer insurable references or rent guarantee insurance | Priority reference listed as “Fully insurable” |
| VAT | Not VAT-registered — no VAT added, the price is final | Reference prices stated inc. VAT; VAT not stated for the credit check or membership |
| Managing the tenancy afterwards | Optional software: compliance tracking, rent chasing, accounting, Section 8 and Section 13 forms | Not part of the referencing service; NRLA membership brings its own landlord resources |
£17 with a free account.
£7 with a free account.
NRLA details from nrla.org.uk (tenant referencing, credit check and membership pages), checked 16 October 2026; confirm current pricing on their site. RentFig figures are our own (disclosure: RentFig is our product).
The cost of a full reference with digital Right to Rent
Since 1 October 2026, a digital Right to Rent check only gives a landlord a statutory excuse if it runs through a provider on the GOV.UK digital verification services register. At the NRLA, the digital check on a full reference is the paid ID Upgrade bolt-on; at RentFig it's part of the full reference. Both cover British and Irish passport holders — anyone whose status is held by the Home Office proves it with a share code instead.
| Buying as | Full reference + digital Right to Rent |
|---|---|
| NRLA non-member | £40.20 + £19.20 ID Upgrade = £59.40 |
| NRLA member | £23.40 + £7.20 ID Upgrade = £30.60, plus membership from £125 a year |
| RentFig, no account | £19 — digital Right to Rent included |
| RentFig, free account | £17 — digital Right to Rent included |
£17 with a free account.
£7 with a free account.
NRLA prices inc. VAT as published; RentFig isn't VAT-registered, so nothing is added. See how RentFig's digital Right to Rent check works.
Where the NRLA is the better fit
- Speed — the NRLA says references come back in 26 hours on average, with one in three instant. RentFig's full reference usually takes up to 7 working days.
- An insurable tier — NRLA's Priority reference (£36.00 members, £50.40 non-members) is listed as “Fully insurable” and adds Open Banking, HMRC and payroll income checks. RentFig doesn't offer insurable references or rent guarantee insurance.
- You're already a member — if you pay for NRLA membership for its other benefits anyway, £23.40 per reference is the price that matters, and a credit check is from £12.
Where RentFig is the better fit
- No membership — £19 full / £9 credit to anyone, or £17 / £7 with a free account. A non-member pays NRLA £40.20 for a full reference and can't buy its credit check at all.
- Digital Right to Rent included — no bolt-on to add, through Yoti, which is on the GOV.UK register.
- Employer and previous-landlord references listed — both are named in our full reference; NRLA's page describes “residential history” and “income and affordability” checks instead.
- Free application form first — collect the applicant's details and consent at no cost, and only pay if you go ahead.
- It can run the tenancy too — if you want it, RentFig also tracks compliance certificates, chases rent and does the accounting. You don't need it to buy a reference.
Which should you choose?
- You want references back fast, or an insurable reference: NRLA, and Priority if insurance is the point.
- You're an NRLA member already: compare £30.60 (£23.40 plus the £7.20 ID Upgrade for digital Right to Rent) against our £17 with a free account. NRLA's speed and insurable Priority tier may still decide it.
- You're not an NRLA member: RentFig — £19 against £40.20, with no membership. (NRLA membership only pays for itself against NRLA's own non-member price at around eight references a year.)
- You want a cheap credit check first: RentFig at £9 (£7) — NRLA's credit check is members only.
NRLA referencing alternatives
You don't need a membership to reference a tenant. These are the main alternatives a self-managing landlord can buy directly, one check at a time:
- RentFig — £19 full reference or £9 credit check (£17 / £7 with a free account), with digital Right to Rent included in the full reference.
- Oops Insurance — £14.99 full reference or £9.99 credit check, inc. VAT. Cheaper than RentFig on a full reference; see RentFig vs Oops for what each one lists.
- OpenRent — £30 inc. VAT per reference, in one tier.
Goodlord isn't a separate option: NRLA referencing is its product, and it otherwise sells to letting agents. Our Goodlord alternatives guide compares the options if you let without an agent. None of these replace the landlord resources that come with NRLA membership; they only replace the reference.
Oops and OpenRent prices from their own sites, checked 12 October 2026; confirm current pricing before you order.
FAQ
How much does NRLA tenant referencing cost?
NRLA's full tenant or guarantor reference, powered by Goodlord, is £23.40 members, £40.20 non-members, inc. VAT. A Priority reference is £36.00 for members and £50.40 for non-members, and an ID Upgrade bolt-on with a digital Right to Rent check (UK or Irish passport holders) is £7.20 or £19.20. Prices from nrla.org.uk, checked 16 October 2026.
Do I need to be an NRLA member to use NRLA referencing?
Not for the full reference: non-members can buy one at £40.20, members pay £23.40. The NRLA's credit check is a members-only service, from £12. Landlord membership is from £125 a year, so against NRLA's own non-member price it pays for itself at around eight full references a year.
Is RentFig cheaper than NRLA referencing?
For a non-member, yes: RentFig's full reference is £19, or £17 with a free account, against NRLA's £40.20, and drops to £17.86 each (£15.98 with a free account) when you order 2 or more people together. For an NRLA member it's £23.40 (£30.60 with the digital Right to Rent ID Upgrade) against our £19 or £17, and membership itself costs from £125 a year. RentFig's credit check is £9 (£7 with a free account) and needs no membership; NRLA's is members only, from £12. (Disclosure: RentFig is our product.)
Who actually does NRLA tenant referencing?
Goodlord. The NRLA describes its service as “powered by Goodlord”, and its separate members-only credit check is provided by TransUnion.
Is NRLA referencing faster than RentFig?
On the published figures, yes. The NRLA says references are returned in 26 hours on average, with one in three completed instantly, and its credit check returns within minutes. A RentFig credit check can be back the same day once the applicant completes the form, and a full reference usually takes up to 7 working days because it waits on the employer and previous landlord replying.
Which is better if I want rent guarantee insurance?
NRLA's Priority reference is listed as “Fully insurable”. RentFig doesn't offer insurable references or rent guarantee insurance, so if cover is the priority, check which reference your insurer accepts — that may point you to NRLA Priority rather than RentFig.
Can I charge the tenant for NRLA or RentFig referencing?
No. In England, charging a tenant for referencing is a banned fee under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, whichever provider you use. The landlord or agent pays.
NRLA's referencing is Goodlord's product — see RentFig vs Goodlord. For every UK option side by side, read our cheapest tenant referencing guide.
Disclaimer: This comparison is general information for UK landlords, not legal or financial advice. RentFig is our own product; the NRLA and Goodlord are independent organisations and their details are summarised from nrla.org.uk on 16 October 2026 and may change — always confirm current pricing and what's included directly with each provider.