How do references work (for owners)

Checking references properly is one of the most important parts of screening a rental application.

This is because, if a tenant was good in the past there is a good chance they will be a good tenant for you.

We gather hard facts and comments from current and previous agents, landlords and employers (and others if required). We then use these hard facts and the subtle clues as experienced property managers to assist in providing our final recommendation to determine if the application is Cubbi Certified. 

Cubbi sends reference requests via email and SMS to all references as soon as the application is shortlisted for screening. The only caveat is if the application was shortlisted in the middle of the night (Cubbi does not send SMS's to people on Sundays and late at night). Sending reference requests via email and SMS is important because even if the reference is taken over the phone all agents still require a signed privacy statement by the tenant before giving a reference. The signed privacy statement is provided in the emails.

We have manual and automatic processes to follow up on references if not complete. This might involve sending to a new email address (if the one provided by the tenant was incorrect).

When a person (current agent for example) receives our reference request they are taken to a special link to provide the reference online or have the option to provide the reference over the phone.

If the reference is still not complete we proactively call references to follow up and take the reference over the phone. If we take a reference over the phone, we will complete the online reference form based on the comments provided to us on the phone. That enables you to see a transcript of the reference.

This is only available when Professional Screening is enabled.

See below an example of the reference questions we ask agents and landlords: