Live webinar: 30 June 2026 2 PM
Physical documents are dead.
And that's a good thing.
Fraud flags are up 78%, so we are making direct income verification the new standard for eligible applicants.
Watch the webinar where Goodlord's fraud and referencing experts show you how direct-to-source verification is changing referencing for good.
AI tools are making fraudulent documents easier to produce and harder to catch through manual review. Goodlord referencing data shows fraud-related flags have risen 78% year-on-year, with some areas of the UK seeing significantly higher levels of suspicious activity than others.
What you will learn:
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The fraud landscape: how fraud, AI-generated document manipulation, and rising compliance pressure are reshaping referencing, backed by the data.
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Direct verification, the new normal: why connecting straight to a tenant's bank, payroll provider, or HMRC is replacing documents as the default standard.
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Stronger verification, better tenancies: the link between verification quality and tenancy outcomes, and what's changing from 1 July 2026 as Trusted Sources becomes available to verify tenants' income.
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The impact on claims, landlords, and your team: what this means for your claims process, the confidence you can offer landlords, and what your team needs to do to be ready.
FAQs
Which applicants are eligible for Trusted Sources?
Eligibility is primarily based on employment status and UK data availability. Most PAYE applicants will be eligible. Self-employed applicants are not currently eligible; existing referencing processes continue for them.
What happens if an eligible tenant refuses to connect?
From 1st July 2026, eligible tenants who don't connect without a sufficient reason will be rejected. Tenants are asked to explain why they can't complete the connection. A genuine reason (e.g., an unsupported bank) keeps fallback routes open.
What are the three connection types?
Open Banking (direct API connection to the applicant's bank account), Payroll (direct connection to UK payroll software), and HMRC (via Government Gateway the most authoritative source available).
Do agents need to change how they work?
No. The process is fully integrated into Goodlord. Eligible applicants are prompted automatically and verified income data appears in the referencing report as normal no workflow changes required.
Is the tenant's banking data secure?
Yes. The connection is a secure, read-only, regulated Open Banking or Government Gateway link. No login credentials are stored, and applicants simply grant consent. The same technology underpins major mortgage and lending providers.
Why is Goodlord making this mandatory now?
Document fraud is rising across the industry. 88%+ of eligible tenants already choose to connect when prompted. We're codifying what's already best practice to protect every agent, landlord, and tenant in the chain.
What about self-employed applicants?
Self-employed applicants are not currently in scope. Standard referencing continues for them. This will be communicated clearly in all applicant-facing materials.
Will tenants find this confusing or off-putting?
No and the data shows this. Over 80% of eligible applicants connect when given the option. The experience is quick, mobile-friendly, and familiar to anyone who uses Open Banking for other financial services.
What if a tenant has an overseas bank account?
Tenants with overseas accounts are not eligible for Open Banking verification. They'll be asked to explain and a suitable fallback route will be available. The rejection criteria only applies to eligible tenants without a valid reason.
How does this affect landlords?
Positively. Landlords receive a referencing report with income verified directly from source the strongest possible assurance that the data is accurate. This reduces risk and gives greater confidence in tenancy decisions.