A screening report is the foundation, not the conclusion. What your agent does with that report—the questions they ask, the references they actually contact, the checks they conduct beyond what an automated system can do—is what determines whether you end up with a reliable tenant or a problem that costs months to resolve.

This matters everywhere, but it matters particularly in Central London, where subletting is far more active than in other parts of the market. A screening company can verify income and pull a credit report. What they can't do is identify whether someone is signing a lease with the intention of living in it themselves or whether they're planning to sublet it out to someone else entirely.

The Subletting Risk in Central London

In Central London, subletting is increasingly common. Someone signs a 12-month lease, lives there for two months, then lists it on Airbnb or finds a long-term sublet and pockets the difference. Your tenant becomes someone you've never met, never screened, and who signed no lease with you. The person liable on your agreement has effectively abandoned the property, and you have limited recourse.

Your agent should be trained to spot the signs. Someone who asks too many questions about the documents they will need to pass referencing or brings their ‘property friend’ to the viewing. Someone asking extensive questions about internet speed and how quickly they could get a second set of keys, asking about private entrances. Someone insists on having a lift as they travel often or ask about certain terms in the tenancy which are unusual. These aren't always proof of intent, but they're red flags worth exploring.

Most importantly, your agent should be asking previous landlords directly, "Did this tenant remain as the occupant throughout the tenancy, or did they sublet?" is a much harder question to dodge if it is direct.

What Your Agent Should Actually Be Doing

Before a lease is signed, your agent should be conducting a conversation that goes beyond form-filling. They should be asking about employment not just verifying it exists, but understanding its stability. How long has this person been in their current role? If they've changed jobs recently, why?

Ask why they're moving. "My flat lease is ending and I'm looking for a longer-term place" is very different from "I need to move quickly." Ask about the property itself. Have they actually viewed it? Can they describe what appealed to them? And crucially, ask whether they plan to live in the property themselves. This is the direct question, and your agent should be asking it directly. "Will you be living here as your primary residence?" If someone hesitates or gives a non-answer, that's a red flag.

The Checkbox Trap

Many agents still operate like the screening company is the finish line. Report comes back clean, application gets approved. But here's the reality: a screening company can confirm that someone has the financial means to pay rent. It cannot assess whether they'll actually live in your property or whether they're planning to sublet.

In 2026, now more than ever, your agent needs to do the human work that automated systems can't. They need to ask difficult questions, listen carefully to answers, follow up on inconsistencies, and apply judgment. In Central London especially, where the subletting opportunity is real and the risks are high, this isn't a nice-to-have. It's essential.

What You Should Expect to Receive

After your agent has screened a tenant, they should give you more than just a screening report. They should give you a summary of their assessment: employment stability, reason for moving, apparent intention to occupy the property themselves, any concerns flagged during reference calls, and their honest recommendation about whether this is someone you should approve.

If they can't do that—if all you're getting is a screening report with boxes ticked—you need to ask why. That's not tenant screening. That's just outsourcing the responsibility without actually managing the risk.

A single week's vacant period costs less than a single bad tenancy decision. Make sure your agent understands that.

Reach out today to find out how GLP does this differently.