We use a referencing company called Let Alliance. Most estate agencies will use a referencing company, and most referencing companies operate in near-identical ways. You are correct that the information provided by an applicant is confidential and Let Alliance follow all the relevant data protection protocols accordingly. Due to the large volume of enquiries and applications we are now receiving on rental properties, due to extremely high demand and shortage of supply in the rental sector, we are now having to pre-qualify applicants initially, and obtaining landlord approval in principle, by requesting a Tenant to complete an application form. We do not carry out referencing checks, but it is just for informational purposes preliminarily. Unfortunately it is not viable for us to book in 50+ people in for a viewing, especially as many of these properties advertised are currently Tenanted and housing all their possessions etc. We explain our process from the start, and inform applicants that we can only notify them if their application is successful, due to the large volume of applications we receive. However up until a decision has been made we always respond to applicants that request updates on their application. Upon receiving our email which outlines are process, you can then decided whether you wish to engage in it or not. If you are not willing to invest your time and energy into renting a property, then that is your call. Our perspective on life is that, nothing in this life will fall from the heavens onto your lap, and you will need to put effort into things, in order to achieve or accomplish a successful outcome. We cannot guarantee a successful outcome from the start, all we can do is give every applicant a fair opportunity and platform to apply and be taken into consideration for the property. Landlords are often having to review in excess of 70+ applicants for every popular rental property at present, so competition is fierce at this moment in time.