What to look for in a new tenant?

Reliability, good credit references, and long-term employment are key considerations when searching for a new tenant. Being a landlord can be a profitable and straightforward experience. However, selecting the wrong tenants for your buy-to-let property can quickly become a nightmare.

The good news is that this situation can be easily avoided, provided you carry out the right tenant checks beforehand. Our letting team conducts the entire screening process on your behalf, ensuring you’ll end up with a tenant who respects your home and pays the rent on time.

We have been in business for over 20 years and boast many 5-star reviews on Google, so you can trust our experts to make your life as a landlord as smooth as possible.

What does an ideal tenant look like?

Before getting started, it’s a good idea to identify who your perfect tenant is. This is useful information for your letting agent, as it helps them find the right person for you.

Take some time to consider the following:

·       Financial responsibility. Can they be trusted to pay what they owe each month? If they damage something, will they cover the costs? How important is it to you, for example, that they have a permanent job? Would a situation where the rent is shared across several individuals provide more reassurance?

·       Character. Tenants come from all walks of life, which is great. However, you may want someone who’s happy to communicate openly on important matters or has a proven track record of being respectful of other people’s property.

·       Trustworthiness. You’re trusting the tenant with possibly the most significant investment of your life. As such, you’ll want someone who can be relied on not to trash your property or walk away owing six months’ rent.

Screening process

Did you know that up to 35% of tenants in 2025 still cannot get legitimate references in London?

Squires conducts an intensive screening process to find a great tenant for your property. Here are some of the things we cover while making checks on prospective renters:

·       Right to rent. We’ll check that the tenant can legally rent your residential property.

·       Referencing. You’ll want to be assured that your tenant is employed, has a good rental track record, and has a solid credit history. Our letting team will gather references from previous landlords and employers and collect credit reports. This gives us a good idea of whether they’re reliable and respectful when renting a property.

·       Asking questions. We cover the difficult questions that you might not feel comfortable asking. For example, we’ll find out if they gave enough notice when moving out of their previous home, and how long they lived there for. We’ll also ask them about their employment history and whether they’ve had any problems with getting into debt.

·       Checking you’re a good match. Once you’ve told us what you expect from your tenants, we’ll relay this information to them. This establishes the ground rules right from the start, which leads to a smoother-running working relationship.

Getting the contract right

Squires will also help with forming a contract, which covers you for anything that might go wrong in the future. This is a handy way to limit problems and minimise stress. The contract will be focused on protecting your landlord rights (and of course, the tenant’s), and ensuring that your property is as well cared-for as possible.

Currently, renting is on the up, as mortgages are higher and the ever-growing number of private tenants entering the property market. With this comes new tenants and new landlords. We’re here to help. Whether screening potential tenants or helping you get started in your property portfolio, contact us today and speak to one of our specialists – we’re a friendly team and would love to assist with your journey. We have branches in Finchley, Hendon, Mill Hill, and have expertise in the property market across North West London.