Why We Turn Away Tenants – And Why They Sometimes Leave Bad Reviews

One of the realities of being a letting agent is that not every applicant can be accepted.

In fact, some of the people who leave negative reviews are not landlords or tenants we've worked with long-term, but applicants whose applications were unsuccessful.

Does that make their frustration understandable? Absolutely.

Does it mean we should ignore concerns raised during referencing? Absolutely not.

At MyEstate, our responsibility is first and foremost to protect our landlords and their properties. Before any tenancy is agreed, we carry out checks on affordability, references, Right to Rent documentation, employment, credit history and the overall suitability of the application.

Sometimes applicants don't meet the criteria.

Sometimes the references don't stack up.

Sometimes affordability is an issue.

And sometimes there are inconsistencies that simply can't be ignored.

When that happens, we have a duty to say no.

Unfortunately, some applicants take that decision personally and occasionally express their disappointment through a negative review.

The irony is that if we ignored those warning signs simply to avoid a bad review, we'd be failing in our duty to the landlord who has trusted us with one of their biggest investments.

A bad review can be disappointing.

A tenant who stops paying rent, damages a property or creates issues for neighbours is far more costly.

Over nearly 20 years in property, I've learned that the hardest conversations today often prevent the biggest problems tomorrow.

We don't turn people away because we enjoy it.

We don't turn people away to be difficult.

We turn people away because professional referencing exists for a reason, and landlords deserve honest advice, not just the answer they want to hear.

So if you ever see a negative review from someone whose application was declined, remember there are always two sides to every story.

Sometimes the review is the result of us doing exactly what our landlord has instructed us to do — protect their investment.

Would you rather have an agent who avoids bad reviews, or one who is prepared to make difficult decisions to protect your property?