In short: Ask two to three screening questions first, not a long list: response rates fall from 39.7% to 23.2% when landlords ask four or more at once, and blanket bans on benefits or children are unlawful.
Updated 29 September 2026
The key facts
- 49 viewing requests per property on average for Hello Neighbour listings in the first few days, against a Rightmove average of 22.
- 2 to 3 questions get a 39.7% response rate; 4 or more drop it to 23.2%. Hello Neighbour analysis of 8,304 landlord screening messages, 2026.
- 96% of screening questions cover employment and income, followed by household size (84%) and move-in timing (81%). Same analysis.
- Blanket "No DSS" and "no children" policies are unlawful under case law and the Renters' Rights Act 2025, in force since 1 May 2026.
In this article:
- What are Hello Neighbour landlords asking prospective tenants?
- What are the key questions landlords ask?
- What do landlord bodies suggest asking?
- What does The Independent Landlord advise?
- What are the legal risks when screening tenants?
- What is the right balance between screening and demand?
- What is Hello Neighbour's approach to screening?
- What questions does Hello Neighbour use?
- Neighbourly screening of viewing requests
- Methodology
This guide is designed to help landlords screen viewing requests so viewings work for both sides without putting suitable applicants off. It draws on our experience letting over 3,000 properties and an analysis of 8,304 anonymised messages between landlords and tenants on our self-letting (DIY) platform. Our guide on how to find a tenant yourself covers the whole process from listing to move-in.
For properties we manage, we go to great lengths to attract the right tenants, and we want DIY landlords to do the same: professional photography, floor plans and video, with every DIY property listed on Rightmove and Zoopla, including Featured on Rightmove for the all-important first 7 days. As a result we get double the average number of viewing requests: 49 per property against the Rightmove average of 22. Why Hello Neighbour's Get Listed is the smarter way to let your property has the detail.
But it is also important not to waste time on tenants who were never going to be suitable, and not to fall foul of the legislation protecting tenants against discrimination, including the rental discrimination rules in the Renters' Rights Act. Asking lots of questions in one long list can dramatically and unnecessarily reduce the number of tenants who reach a viewing; asking the right questions in the right way maximises real demand.
Legal disclaimer: this document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Housing law is complex and fact-specific. Whether a screening question is lawful depends on how it is framed, how it is applied, and whether it results in direct or indirect discrimination. Landlords and agents should seek independent legal advice before implementing screening policies. This guidance reflects the position in England at the time of writing.
What are Hello Neighbour landlords asking prospective tenants?
Employment and income questions dominate pre-viewing screening at 96% of messages, followed by household size at 84% and move-in timing at 81%, in our analysis of 8,304 screening questions.
Credit history and right-to-rent questions appear far less often at enquiry stage, suggesting compliance checks are usually deferred until referencing, which is where they belong.
What are the key questions landlords ask?
Income first, household second, timing third: that is the pattern across the dataset, and each category has a small set of standard forms.
Employment and income (96%)
What is your current work situation and income level? What is the combined monthly income of you and your co-tenants? Are you employed or self-employed? Do you receive benefits, and if so are you working or exempt from the benefits cap? This is the anchor question set.
Who will live there (84%)
How many people will live at the property, and what is their relationship? Is it just yourself? What is the job title of the co-tenant? Almost always paired with affordability.
Move-in timing (81%)
What is your preferred move-in date, and is it flexible? How long are you looking to rent for? Operationally driven.
Pets, smoking and history (75%)
Usually a single blunt question: do you have pets or smoke? Some landlords add: have you ever had a County Court Judgment, or been evicted from a rented property?
Guarantor (72%)
Would you need a guarantor, and do you have one in the UK?
References (20%)
Can you provide a reference from your current landlord?
What do landlord bodies suggest asking?
Guidance from landlord education bodies such as the National Residential Landlords Association typically goes slightly further than what our data shows landlords actually ask.
They often advise adding employment depth (how long in the current role, probation status, years trading if self-employed), rental history (time at the current address, reason for moving, any evictions), and an affordability ratio, with many independent landlords requiring annual income of at least 30x the monthly rent. Landlord forums frequently discuss asking whether rent will be paid partly through Universal Credit; since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026 that is a legally sensitive area, covered below.
What does The Independent Landlord advise?
Suzanne Smith, The Independent Landlord, is always a great source on all things lettings, through her website and her book The Good Landlord Handbook.
Her suggested questions: how many adults would live in the property, with children's ages; the relationship between the adults; the occupation of every adult; how long they plan to stay; their connection to the area; where they live now and why they are moving; the breed and age of any pet; any CCJs with details; and whether the property is for the applicant themselves, with rent-to-renters and other intermediaries asked not to apply.
What are the legal risks when screening tenants?
Benefits, children, protected characteristics and nationality are the four areas where a screening question can cross into unlawful discrimination.
Universal Credit and benefits
Blanket "No DSS" policies are unlawful under court decisions reinforced by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. You cannot refuse viewings solely because someone receives Universal Credit, and you cannot advertise excluding benefit recipients. You can ask about Universal Credit to assess total income, including benefits, but you should not use benefit status as a filter or treat benefit income as automatically unacceptable. We recommend avoiding specific reference to benefits altogether.
Families with children
Blanket "no children" exclusions are prohibited. You may assess overcrowding, licensing limits and property suitability, but you may not refuse a viewing because the applicant has children.
Protected characteristics
Under the Equality Act 2010, landlords must not screen on race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, gender reassignment or age. That includes indirect discrimination, where a neutral-sounding question disadvantages a protected group.
Nationality and right to rent
Right-to-rent checks must be carried out properly and consistently at the formal compliance stage, applied equally to everyone. Asking "are you British?" at enquiry stage is inappropriate, and screening by nationality is unlawful.
What is the right balance between screening and demand?
Two to three questions maximum in the first message. From our analysis of over 8,000 messages, 2 to 3 questions get a 39.7% response rate, while 4 or more drop it to 23.2%, and tenant demand has reduced significantly over the last 12 months, so every unnecessary drop-off costs real applicants.
Landlords rightly want to ask more than three questions, so a progressive, phased qualification process beats a long list in bulk. A good first screening prioritises the areas most likely to disqualify: move-in date, employment and income, and household size. For example: "Hi [Name], thanks for your interest. Just a couple of quick questions: when are you looking to move? What is your monthly income? How many people would be living in the property?" A warmer, more neighbourly variant works too: "Hi [Name], thanks for your interest in seeing my property. Just to check, when are you hoping to move, and what's the combined monthly income of you and your co-tenants? And how many people would be living there?"
On 49 enquiries per property, those first questions typically narrow the field to around 20 real prospects, still significant but manageable. The reply then opens the second screening: ask about a guarantor if income is borderline, about the relationship between tenants if the household is unclear, or move straight to a viewing for a strong candidate, adding secondary questions such as pets and smoking at that stage.
What is Hello Neighbour's approach to screening?
Every tenant who requests a viewing receives automatic screening questions, with replies captured on the platform where landlords can see them easily. We focus on income and occupation at the screening stage and capture household details after pre-screening is passed, so the progressive approach is designed in.
What questions does Hello Neighbour use?
Our screening set: what is your household's annual income; what is your primary occupation; if employed, are you on a zero-hours contract; if unemployed, where does your income come from; have you been resident in the UK for more than 12 months; and, where earlier answers would cause a referencing failure, can you pay rent upfront or do you have a guarantor?
The wider viewing-request journey also captures move-in timing, household type and size, pets (type, number and description), and any specific access requirements. DIY landlords can ask any additional questions they like directly to tenants who have requested a viewing.
Neighbourly screening of viewing requests
Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, with tenant demand declining, screening viewing requests effectively without discouraging suitable tenants has become a core landlord skill.
There are plenty of questions to choose from in this guide and elsewhere. Striking the balance between thoroughness and a neighbourly approach is what achieves the best outcome, and we have found the phased approach works really well, with our platform making it an easy experience for any tenant. We will keep measuring which approaches and questions work best as we work to make lettings easier, quicker and safer. If you have questions or suggestions, please leave your details in the comment box below.
Methodology
The dataset comprises 8,304 individual pre-viewing questions sent by landlords using Hello Neighbour's DIY letting products. Messages were analysed to identify recurring screening themes, question categories and whether they were sent in bulk or individually. Percentages represent the proportion of questions in which a specific screening category appeared. The analysis reflects behavioural patterns of active DIY landlords operating in England.
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