Landlords pay letting agents to find suitable tenants, protect their investment and minimise rental voids. But what happens when an agent's personal preferences influence which applicants a landlord gets to consider?
Let's ask an uncomfortable question.
When a landlord instructs a letting agent to find a tenant, who is actually making the decisions?
The landlord who owns the property? Or the agent who decides which applicants are worth presenting?
Most letting agents do an excellent job. They understand their local markets, carry out referencing and help landlords avoid costly mistakes.
But there's a difference between providing professional advice and making assumptions on a landlord's behalf.
At DSS Select, we believe landlords deserve more than an agent's personal opinion. They deserve informed choices.
And in today's rental market, that distinction matters more than ever.
Who Decides What Makes a Good Tenant?
Ask ten letting agents to describe their ideal tenant and you'll probably hear similar answers.
Full-time employment. A stable salary. Good credit history. Strong references.
Nothing unreasonable about that.
But what happens when an applicant doesn't fit the traditional profile?
Perhaps they're self-employed. Perhaps they work part-time while receiving Universal Credit. Or perhaps they receive Housing Benefit and have an excellent rental history.
Are those applicants assessed individually?
Or are they quietly pushed to the bottom of the list?
A tenant's employment status or source of income doesn't tell the whole story.
Someone earning £50,000 a year can fall into arrears. Someone receiving housing support can maintain an excellent payment record.
The question shouldn't be whether an applicant fits a preferred profile. It should be whether they're suitable for the property.
The Hidden Cost of Filtering Out Applicants
Imagine a landlord has a property available at £1,600 per month.
It's been empty for six weeks.
The agent has received several enquiries but tells the landlord that no suitable tenants have come forward.
What the landlord doesn't know is that some applicants were never properly considered because they received Universal Credit.
That's a hypothetical example, but it raises a serious commercial question.
Has the agent protected the landlord's interests, or unnecessarily reduced their options?
At £1,600 per month, six weeks of vacancy represents approximately £2,215 in potential rental income.
That money is gone regardless of whether the mortgage, insurance and maintenance bills continue.
Of course, an agent should never recommend an applicant who cannot reasonably afford the rent.
But rejecting someone before assessing affordability is not the same as managing risk.
A smaller applicant pool doesn't automatically produce a better tenant.
Sometimes it simply produces a longer vacancy.
Professional Advice or Personal Preference?
Letting agents have an important responsibility.
They must assess applicants, explain potential risks and help landlords make informed decisions.
But personal preferences should never replace objective criteria.
Consider two applicants.
One is employed full-time but has recently changed jobs, has limited savings and cannot provide a previous landlord reference.
The other works part-time, receives Universal Credit, has lived in the same rented property for eight years and can demonstrate a consistent payment history.
Which is the better applicant?
The answer isn't obvious.
Both require proper assessment.
Yet if the second applicant is dismissed purely because they receive benefits, the landlord may never get the opportunity to consider the evidence.
That's where professional judgment risks becoming prejudice.
The Renters' Rights Act Has Changed the Conversation
Since 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has prohibited blanket discrimination against prospective tenants receiving benefits or having children in England.
This matters for both landlords and letting agents.
Agents cannot simply apply a blanket "No DSS" policy or automatically exclude applicants because they receive Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
They can still carry out lawful affordability assessments, request references and consider genuine suitability concerns.
But those decisions must be based on individual circumstances rather than benefit status alone.
And if a landlord asks an agent to exclude everyone receiving benefits, the agent should explain the legal position rather than automatically follow that instruction.
Good agents do more than take instructions.
They help landlords understand which instructions are lawful, reasonable and commercially sensible.
Are Landlords Always Seeing the Full Picture?
Most landlords don't personally handle every tenant enquiry.
That's why they employ letting agents.
They expect their agent to filter enquiries, arrange viewings and recommend suitable applicants.
But filtering requires transparency.
If an agent rejects someone because they cannot demonstrate affordability, that's a legitimate issue to discuss.
If an applicant has poor references, that may also be relevant.
But if an agent rejects someone because they simply don't like the idea of tenants receiving benefits, that's an entirely different matter.
Landlords should feel comfortable asking:
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How many enquiries have we received?
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How many applicants were assessed?
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What criteria were used?
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Were any potentially suitable applicants excluded before referencing?
These aren't unreasonable questions.
They're part of understanding how effectively a property is being marketed.
Could Agents Be Limiting Their Own Business?
There's another side to this debate.
Letting agents are businesses.
They need to attract landlords, fill vacancies and build long-term relationships.
A landlord whose property sits empty for two months is unlikely to be impressed by repeated assurances that the market is quiet.
Especially if they later discover that potentially suitable applicants weren't considered.
The strongest agents are those who can demonstrate that they've explored the available market thoroughly.
That includes considering applicants with different employment arrangements and legitimate sources of income.
It's not about accepting everyone.
It's about giving landlords confidence that opportunities haven't been missed unnecessarily.
In a competitive industry, being open-minded and commercially focused can be a genuine advantage.
Why DSS Select Is Challenging the Traditional Approach
At DSS Select, we've seen how difficult it can be for prospective tenants receiving Universal Credit or Housing Benefit to gain consideration in the private rented sector.
That's one of the reasons we created the platform.
We want to help landlords and letting agents connect with a wider pool of prospective tenants while keeping the decision-making process firmly in their hands.
Our approach is straightforward.
Landlords and agents should be able to review available applicant information, consider affordability and suitability, and decide whether they wish to make contact.
No pressure to accept anyone.
No requirement to abandon existing referencing procedures.
And no registration charge for landlords or letting agents.
We're not suggesting that every applicant receiving benefits is suitable for every property.
We're suggesting that suitability should be assessed rather than assumed.
What Should Landlords Expect from Their Letting Agent?
Landlords are entitled to expect more than a property listing and a set of viewing appointments.
They should expect honest advice, transparent communication and a sensible approach to tenant selection.
If an agent recommends against an applicant, the landlord should be able to understand why.
Is there an affordability concern?
Are references incomplete?
Is there a specific issue with the proposed tenancy?
Those are meaningful considerations.
But vague statements such as "we don't normally take benefit tenants" should no longer be part of a professional letting service.
The industry has moved on legally.
Its everyday practices need to reflect that change.
The Best Agents Offer Solutions, Not Restrictions
Let's be clear.
This article isn't an attack on letting agents.
Many agents already assess applicants fairly and provide excellent advice.
But every industry benefits from questioning established habits.
The best letting agents aren't necessarily those who reject the greatest number of applicants.
They're the ones who understand their landlords' priorities, manage risks responsibly and explore suitable options.
Sometimes that means recommending a traditional employed applicant.
Sometimes it means considering someone receiving Universal Credit.
The important thing is that the recommendation is based on evidence.
A landlord should never lose a potentially suitable tenant simply because an agent didn't want to look beyond a familiar profile.
It's Time to Put Landlords' Interests First
The private rented sector is changing.
Landlords are facing increasing costs, tenants are dealing with affordability pressures and agents are expected to navigate more complex legislation.
Against that background, unnecessary restrictions make little sense.
Landlords need reliable tenants.
Letting agents need successful lettings.
Prospective tenants need fair consideration.
These objectives can work together.
And the starting point is simple: make decisions based on the applicant's circumstances, not assumptions about their income.
A Final Message from DSS Select
If you're a landlord, ask whether your letting agent is exploring the full range of suitable applicants.
If you're a letting agent, ask whether your current selection process gives landlords the widest reasonable choice.
DSS Select helps connect landlords and letting agents with prospective tenants receiving Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.
Registration is free, and landlords and agents remain in control of their decisions.
DSS Select isn't asking landlords to lower their standards. We're asking them to widen their choices.
Discover more at www.dssselect.co.uk.
DSS Select — More Tenant Choice. Better-Informed Decisions.
Disclaimer: This article is general industry commentary concerning private renting in England and is not legal advice. Financial examples are illustrative. Individual applicants should be assessed using lawful, consistent and proportionate criteria.
