Who owns a flat?

[Suetheramble]

I am about to take on a new tenant.
He is at present living in a flat with a friend and pays rent to his friend. As he does not want his friend to know that he is thinking of leaving until it is certain he is leaving he is unable to ask his friend who owns the flat. How can I find out who owns that flat so references may be obtained?

[Ethel]

You can get those details from the Land Registry, downloadable for �3.

But that may not tell who can provide the references. The owner may be abroad, and an agency may be handling the let, for example.

Or the original tenant may be sub-letting to the current tenant.

[aniani]

Land Registry ?

[Hawkwalk]

if he pays rent to his friend then I doubt whoever owns the flat knows of him.

[Eve]

Can he think of an excuse to ask his friend to have a look at the tenancy agreement without alerting suspicion?

Does the landlord even know your friend is there in case he lands them both in it?

[ChuckFickens]

I agree with Hawkwalk

most rental agencies insist on getting credit references from every tenant in a rented property and their name will be on the lease, if he hasn't signed a lease then he is probably just paying a mate rent and he isn't really meant to be there.

Contacting the owner will probably not get you a reference as they probably don't know he is living there and will get the renter in trouble for sub letting.

[firetracie]

HW and CF are right.

If he's paying rent to his friend then it's probably his friends name on the tenancy and said friend could have his tenancy terminated if the landlord found out he was 'sub-letting'.

Best to ask for references from his employer and another from someone who knows him but isn't a relative.

[Suetheramble]

What I really need to know that they are not being kicked out for wild parties etc.