The National Landlords Association (NLA) has reminding landlords to carry out background checks on potential tenants before letting their properties.

The landlord organisation is warning all landlords to carry out checks to confirm a tenant’s identity, and ensure that there is no apparent reason why they could not keep up with the rent.

A recent survey by the NLA revealed that nearly three-quarters of landlords who sought possession of their property experienced rent arrears.

Through the necessary searches, NLA Tenant Check found that approximately one in 20 tenants processed had one or more County Court Judgments (CCJ) against them at an undisclosed previous address during the first half of 2011.

A basic check with NLA Tenant Check will include a County Court Judgement search, address history, an ID check and alias name search, along with a bankruptcy or insolvency inquiry. A full tenant check will include references from their employer and previous landlord, bank account details and an assessment of a tenant’s ability to pay the rent.

NLA Tenant Check reported a record number of checks during August, including the highest number of full tenant checks in any one month, indicating that landlords are becoming increasingly conscious of who they let their properties to.

David Salusbury, NLA chairman, said: “Getting a proper background check done on all tenants before they move into a property is one of the most important things a landlord can do before handing over the keys.