Landlords across the UK are subjecting prospective tenants to considerably more stringent financial and reference checks, according to new industry data, as rising mortgage costs, insurance premiums and regulatory compliance burdens squeeze rental yields to their tightest margins in over a decade. What was once a relatively straightforward process — credit check, employer reference, previous landlord confirmation — has evolved into a multi-layered vetting exercise that increasingly resembles mortgage underwriting, with affordability stress-testing, guarantor requirements and enhanced right-to-rent verification now standard practice among professional landlords.