South East · district

Tenant referencing in Woking

For landlords and letting agents letting in Woking: one link per applicant, thorough checks, and a report that explains its outcome. £14.99 per applicant.

Start referencingSee a sample report

The local market

Renting in Woking

Average private rent£1,615£1,615 a month (ONS, April 2026), down 1.4% on a year earlier Source
Renting privately21%21% of households rent privately (Census 2021), up from 16% in 2011 Source
Average house price£446,000£446,000 (UK HPI, March 2026, provisional), about the same as a year earlier Source
Council tax, Band D£2,598£2,598 Band D (2026/27), including Surrey County Council and police precepts Source

Woking is a commuter town with fast trains to London, and its private rented share rose sharply between 2011 and 2021. The town centre has been rebuilt with tall apartment blocks, and many of its rented homes are flats there. Maybury has older terraces, Goldsworth Park and Sheerwater are large planned estates, and Hook Heath and Horsell have big detached houses. The council licenses smaller shared houses as well as large ones since January 2026.

Affordability

The income a tenant needs in Woking

We check that a tenant’s yearly income is at least 30 times their monthly share of the rent, and that a guarantor earns at least 3 times the yearly rent they guarantee, with enough disposable income left each month to pay it. At Woking’s average rent:

Income comes from the most reliable source: the salary the employer confirms, then payslips, then what was declared, checked against three months of bank statements.

Monthly rentTenant needs a yearGuarantor needs a year
Average home, one tenant£1,615£48,450£58,140
Shared by two£808 each£24,225 each£29,070
Shared by three£538 each£16,150 each£19,380
Before you let

Landlord licensing in Woking

Selective licensing: No selective licensing scheme.

HMOs: Additional HMO licensing began on 5 January 2026 and runs for five years: shared homes with three or more occupants from two or more households sharing facilities need a licence, on top of national mandatory HMO licensing for five or more.

Fee: Around £880 for a new HMO licence and £642 to renew (council fees from April 2025)

As checked in October 2026. The council’s page Schemes change: confirm with Woking Borough Council before letting. Private renting at the council.

How it works

Referencing a tenant in Woking

  1. Add the tenancyThe property, the rent, the move-in date and the applicant. Their link is emailed at once.
  2. They apply on their phoneFive years of addresses, work, 3 months of bank statements, payslips and ID, in about 10 minutes.
  3. We contact the refereesTheir employer, current and previous landlord, by email, automatically.
  4. You get the reportEvery check, the income from every source, and how we reached the outcome.

For landlordsFor letting agents

Neighbourhoods

Where people rent in Woking

Woking town centre

GU21, GU22

High-rise and mid-rise apartment blocks from the town centre regeneration, with flats over shops.

Maybury and Sheerwater

GU21, GU22

Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Maybury and the post-war Sheerwater estate, which is being rebuilt.

Goldsworth Park

GU21

A large 1970s and 1980s estate of terraced, semi-detached and detached houses around a lake.

Knaphill and St John's

GU21

Victorian cottages, interwar semis and modern estates on the western side of the town.

Horsell

GU21

Edwardian and interwar detached and semi-detached houses near Horsell Common.

Hook Heath and Mayford

GU22

Large detached houses in wooded plots, many from the early 1900s.

Byfleet and West Byfleet

KT14

Victorian and interwar houses, bungalows near the River Wey and flats near the station.

Pyrford and Old Woking

GU22

Older village houses and post-war estates beside the Wey valley.

Postcode districts: GU21, GU22, GU23, GU24, KT14

Questions

Tenant referencing in Woking: questions

How much does tenant referencing cost in Woking?

£14.99 per applicant with Rentwick, the same for tenants and guarantors, paid by the landlord or agent. Tenants in England can’t be charged for referencing.

What income do tenants need to rent in Woking?

At Woking’s average private rent of £1,615 a month (ONS), a tenant renting alone would need about £48,450 a year (30 times the monthly rent). Sharers each need 30 times their own share. A guarantor would need about £58,140 a year (3 times the yearly rent) and enough disposable income to cover it.

Do landlords need a licence to let in Woking?

No selective licensing scheme. Additional HMO licensing began on 5 January 2026 and runs for five years: shared homes with three or more occupants from two or more households sharing facilities need a licence, on top of national mandatory HMO licensing for five or more. (as checked in October 2026; confirm with Woking Borough Council before letting).

How long does a tenant reference take in Woking?

The applicant applies on their phone in about 10 minutes. We email their employer and landlords straight away, so most references are back within a few working days, depending on how quickly the referees reply.

What does the reference check?

Three months of bank statements, payslips, income from every source, the employer, current and previous landlords, five years of addresses and a credit check, with AI comparing every document with the application.

For tenants: Woking Borough Council's private sector housing team investigates disrepair and unsafe conditions in private rented homes and licenses HMOs.