Tenants and references??

[leesider29]

I am working as a letting agent and fear I could be put in a difficult situation.

I viewed a house with a prospective tenant, they liked the house but requested that a number of things be done. They put down a deposit and viewed the house again today and all of these things had been done including the buying of some new furniture.

I told them that before they moved in (start of June) that I required work and previous landlord references. They said they might not be able to get either of these and they were quite aggressive about it.

My fear is that I will have to tell them they can't move in without references, that they won't provide them and will ask for their deposit back eventhough the landlord is after spending money on furniture they specifically requested and loosing out on advertising etc..

If they don't provide references and the landlord has done requested work to the property is the landlord entitled to keep the deposit?

Hope someone can clarify this for me!

 

[twofor1]

If they don't provide references and the landlord has done requested work to the property is the landlord entitled to keep the deposit??

Were they told at the first viewing that references would be required?

Presumably they were given a receipt for their deposit, does this receipt state it is subject to satisfactory references?

If a receipt was given for the deposit with no conditions, then they are entitled to their deposit back, but a bigger issue here could be that the landlord is now obliged to let to these tenants who are unable to provide references.

I would not accept a deposit from, or spend money on, a prospective tenant’s requests until references were checked.

 

[leesider29]

when they gave the deposit they were given a list of requirements for letting ie the references we require......the list is actaully called "Requirements for letting".......but there is nothing on the deposit receipt.....when I did the initial viewing with them as with everyone I told them references would be required and that when they dropped in the deposit that this list would be given to them.

some prospective tenants are absolutely brilliant but I just don't understand the attitude of people like this.......they probably say the same about letting agents but when you are trying to do a professional job this type of thing is very frustrating and not to mention bad for business!