Soft search — no effect on their credit score
Tenant credit checks for landlords
Check a tenant's identity and credit history for £9. It can be back the same day once they've completed their form.
CCJs, defaults, bankruptcies, IVAs and address links from a licensed credit reference agency. No account, no subscription: pay per check by card.
Members pay £7 and £17. Free account, no card
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Credit check or full reference?
Both run online, no account or subscription needed. Soft search: it isn't visible to lenders and doesn't affect their credit score.
Credit check
£9per check
Best for a quick first filter, a lodger, re-checking a sitting tenant or a guarantor.
Includes:
- Credit history & adverse-credit search
- Soft search — no impact on the tenant's credit score
- Identity verification
- AML (anti-money-laundering) check
Full tenant reference
Most chosen£19per reference
Best for any new tenancy: shows they can afford the rent and have rented well before.
Everything in the credit check, plus:
- Income & affordability verification
- Employer & previous-landlord references
- Right to Rent check (England)
- Anti-fraud verification
Members save £2 on every check
Free RentFig account, no card. Every report is filed against the right tenancy.
Referencing 2–6 people for one property? HMO rooms, sharers, couples and guarantors — one form, one payment, 6% off full references.
Neither check includes a criminal records search. More on each item in what a tenant credit check shows; the full reference's Right to Rent part is a digital Right to Rent check. Checking a guarantor? Choose Guarantor when you order.
How to run a credit check on a tenant
- Step 1
Order the check
Pay £9 by card with no account, or £7 with a free account. Tell us who you're checking.
- Step 2
They fill in a secure form
We email the applicant straight away. They enter their details and consent directly with our referencing partner.
- Step 3
You get the result
By email, with the detail behind it. It can be back the same day once they've finished their form.
In England the landlord pays for referencing: under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 you can't charge the tenant or their guarantor for it.
Tenant credit checks: questions
- How do I run a credit check on a tenant?
- Collect the tenant's application and written consent first (RentFig's application form is free). Then order a credit check online for £9 by card, with no account needed. The applicant is emailed a secure link and enters their sensitive details directly with our referencing partner, and the result can be back the same day once they've completed their form.
- What does a tenant credit check show?
- RentFig's credit check confirms the applicant's identity electronically, runs an anti-money-laundering (AML) check, and returns their credit history from a licensed credit reference agency: county court judgments (CCJs), defaults, bankruptcies, IVAs and address links.
- Is it a soft credit check? Will it affect the tenant's credit score?
- It's a soft (quotation) search. It isn't visible to lenders and doesn't affect the applicant's credit score.
- How much does a tenant credit check cost?
- £9 per check, or £7 with a free RentFig account. You pay per check by card. There's no subscription.
- How long does a tenant credit check take?
- It can be back the same day once the applicant has completed their form. A full reference (£19) usually takes up to 7 working days, because it waits on the applicant's employer and previous landlord. Our referencing runs Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.
- What doesn't a credit check show?
- A credit check doesn't show criminal records, immigration status or the applicant's current income. It doesn't include a Right to Rent check, income verification or references from an employer or previous landlord. Those come with the full reference.
- Is a credit check enough, or do I need a full reference?
- A credit check on its own suits a quick first filter before viewings, a lodger (in England you still need a Right to Rent check, which is in the full reference or you can do it yourself), re-checking an existing tenant, or a guarantor whose income you don't need verified. For a new tenancy, the £19 full reference adds income and affordability, employer and previous-landlord references, a digital Right to Rent check and anti-fraud checks.
- Can I charge the tenant for the credit check?
- No. In England the Tenant Fees Act 2019 makes the landlord pay for referencing, and you can't charge the tenant or their guarantor for it. Wales and Scotland have similar bans.
- Do I need the tenant's consent to run a credit check?
- Yes, collect written consent with the application before you order. RentFig's free tenant application form collects the application and the applicant's written consent at no cost, before you pay for any check.
More: all our referencing checks, how to reference a tenant and the best tenant referencing companies in the UK.
Please note: this page is general information for UK landlords, not legal advice. A credit check is one input to your decision; it doesn't show criminal records, immigration status or current income.