Dear Mr Sullivan, We note your review of our company, and we regret you felt the need to review our local business is such a way. A business that has been in Leighton Buzzard since 1986 and one of the very few remaining independent small companies. Unfortunately, given the severely high demand for properties in this area and generally across the UK property market, landlords are extremely cautious on which applications are progressed and those that are not. Sadly ,we find ourselves in an era where landlords are leaving the sector, and the result is less properties to let. The majority of Landlords are now covered by rent guarantee and legal protection insurance which does require the tenant to pass through the referencing process, ensuring that a landlords insurance remains valid and they are protected. We as a company also uphold the most stringent referencing criteria and due to the lack of supply this high standard has increased as supply decreases. We understand the frustration you are experiencing with trying to find a rental property and sympathise with this, unfortunately you won’t be the only prospective tenant in a situation where an IVA (Involuntary financial agreement) is restricting them. With an outstanding IVA, it is a failure of the referencing process which does mean that unfortunately very few of our clients would be able to accept an application from yourself as it leaves them unprotected with their insurance. A guarantor does not necessarily mean you will pass the reference checks either, as factors surrounding your IVA like how much it’s for, when it began and how long it has left to run will have an effect. I was pleased to see that you mention our colleague was very sympathetic which is great to hear, as we do not like turning away applicants, but we must be as clear and transparent as possible with the processes involved with letting a property. The last thing we would want to do is offer false hope or waste anyone’s time. I would also point out that many rental agents and property managers, in this era of low supply and high demand, are processing tenant enquiries by email only. We still believe in the human touch but of course this sometimes means we receive reviews like yours, that’s a shame. I do feel your email is more aimed at general referencing policies, the UK market and PRS as whole as opposed to just your recent interaction as it sounds as though you are having the same issue elsewhere. Hopefully, you will have success imminently. As I have mentioned, we regret not being able to help you for the reasons above but wish you well with your search for a rental property. M&M Properties