I recently applied to rent a property through ELC and, unfortunately, the experience was quite frustrating and unnecessarily rigid, and simply told my application was withdrawn, no confirmation of when I would get my deposit returned. While I appreciate that referencing is outsourced to Let Alliance, the process felt entirely system-led with no meaningful human review. My application was declined on affordability grounds, despite having a VISTA score of “Good”, which reflects strong credit history, good payment behaviour, low fraud risk, and overall reliability as a tenant. No CCJ's or Bankruptcy. In simple terms, I was assessed as a low-risk applicant, yet still rejected due to a formula that did not take into account my actual financial position. Specifically, the assessment failed to consider: confirmed additional rental income of £2,300 pcm from my own property additional income of approximately £16,900 for the last financial year an annual bonus of circa £9,000 the fact my current housing costs would transfer directly to the new tenancy my willingness to proceed with a guarantor Instead, the outcome appeared to be based purely on a static snapshot of income versus outgoings, without any flexibility or common-sense review. Paying 6 months upfront was my only option yesterday, but not today, which I find redundant, if I can't pay the initial 6 months in your eyes, how would I afford month 7....8...9....etc Communication between ELC and the referencing provider was also unclear at times, with conflicting information being given about how decisions were made, for either side. One putting the blame on the other. Overall, the process felt impersonal and overly reliant on automated checks, rather than a fair assessment of a tenant’s full financial picture. A more balanced approach, with some level of human discretion, would make a significant difference. Needless to say I have one week to find another flat as someone is moving into my house....