How Do You Know If You’re Getting a Good Tenant?

When it comes to letting a property, landlords have two key decisions to make:
1️⃣ Choosing the right letting agent
2️⃣ Choosing the right tenant

Get either of these wrong, and the results can affect your time, money, and peace of mind. At Iles and Jenkin, we know just how important it is to get both right—and we’ve spent over 20 years refining our process to ensure our landlords are protected from the get-go.

Why Thorough Tenant Vetting Matters

Poorly vetted tenants are the root of many landlord headaches—missed rent, property damage, neighbour disputes, and more. Unfortunately, not all letting agents apply the same level of care or experience when it comes to screening tenants.

At Iles and Jenkin, we take a multi-stage approach to ensure only high-quality tenants are placed in your property.

Step 1: The First Impression Matters

It starts from the very first enquiry. Whether a tenant calls, emails, or walks through our door, our experienced team is trained to pick up on red flags and positive signals early. You’d be surprised how much you can learn from a quick conversation when you know what to look for. This is where your Agent will really earn their money initially. An experienced and well trained agent will know the questions to ask and what to look out for. This is important as, quite often, Landlords do not meet their Tenants and rely on the agents to give a fair assessment of the potential Tenant.

Step 2: What Makes a Good Tenant?

A good tenant is someone who:

Pays rent on time
Looks after the property
Is easy to communicate with
Respects their neighbours

These qualities lead to long-term, stress-free tenancies—something every landlord wants.

Step 3: Referencing That Goes Beyond the Basics

We work with trusted referencing partners to check:

Credit history
Employment and income
Previous rental behaviour
Right To Rent Checks
Sanction Checks (new May 2025)

While referencing isn’t foolproof, when combined with our hands-on screening approach, it gives us a strong picture of the applicant’s reliability.

It’s Not Just Tenants We Vet

We also believe in ethical property management—and that goes both ways. If a landlord is unwilling to maintain their property or delays essential repairs, it can cause friction with even the best tenants. That’s why we always encourage transparency and responsibility on both sides.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes

Overpricing a rental can lead to longer void periods, and in a rush to fill the gap, the tenant vetting process can be compromised. We’ll always give you honest rental valuations and stand firm on our standards—because we believe short-term compromises lead to long-term problems.

In Summary

Getting a good tenant isn’t luck—it’s a process. It takes experience, intuition, and proper systems to get it right. That’s exactly what we offer at Iles and Jenkin.

📞 Got questions about tenant screening or letting your property? We’d love to help. Call our team on 01934 512537 or email lettings@ilesandjenkin.com today.