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Nearly a quarter of old aged pensioners fake references when applying for a new property, according to new research published by the Letting Protection Service (LPS).

In a poll of 10,000 landlords, a surprising 21 per cent said that they had received a fake reference from a prospective tenant aged 60 and over.

A total of 43 per cent had problems with faked references from prospective tenants aged over 50.

It seems that the elderly are not the only ones faking references. The poll also showed that 42 per cent of landlords had received fake references from prospective tenants aged under 29.

The research commissioned by the LPS, which provides a full tenant reference service to landlords, shows that a majority of landlords have suspected at least once that a reference was faked.

Kevin Firth, director of the LPS said: “This research just goes to show, that no matter how old the person is many tenants still try to fake their own references. With most landlords now requiring two or more references there is a real danger landlords end up with tenants who are untrustworthy.” 

“The last thing a landlord wants is to be left out of pocket by a tenant who has lied to them. That is why it is so important to ensure that each reference is thoroughly checked and verified”.

The LPS Full Tenant Reference provides a full profile of a potential tenant, including their credit history, current and previous employment, current and past landlord references and proof of income - within three days; while its Quick Check product does basic financial checks instantly, online.