How long a tenant reference takes

The same day version

You start with your name matching your ID, your addresses joined up, and your income visible without us writing to anyone else. When we can see that income, the checks can finish the same day, and the agent gets the reference back while the flat is still the one you viewed, not a listing that has already gone.

Same day does not mean same minute. It means you are not waiting until next week for a landlord you lived with in 2022 to reply to an email they have not seen. If you begin in the morning with everything to hand, you should not be chasing us at the end of the week.

What adds time, every single time

A photo of a passport where the corner is missing. An address with no postcode. A name on the bank account that is not the name on the form, and no note to explain it. Income that is described as a salary when the account shows irregular amounts and you are in fact self employed. None of these are disasters. They all mean a person has to stop and ask you something, and the clock waits for your answer.

The other delay is other people. If we cannot see the income, we may need an employer or a previous landlord to confirm what you told us. They have their own jobs. They reply when they reply. You can nudge them. We cannot invent their answer. Showing the income yourself is what keeps a this week move on this week.

People who often need a closer look

If you have just moved to the UK, if the rent is very high compared with a normal wage, or if you live on savings rather than pay, the automatic checks may not be enough. That is not a rejection. It means someone reads the file. Tell the truth at the start so they are not discovering it at the end. A short note in the form is better than a surprised email two days later.

How you know it is done

Sign in and look. When the reference is complete, it has gone to the agent. You might still be waiting on them for a yes. Those are two different waits, and mixing them up is how people spend an evening angry at the wrong company. There is more on that moment on the being referenced page.

If you want the reference today, the practical advice is boring and it works. Read what you will need, photograph your ID in daylight, pick the right bank account, and do not leave a gap in the addresses. Then use the button and stay with it until the end.