An iD Buddy is needed for a tenant who doesn’t have a UK driving licence and the iD Buddy’s job is to represent them on RenterBall.
It is a compromise for those tenants who would like to apply on an advert but fail the ID check as they legally can’t get even a provisional driving licence so cannot have their ID verified by Renterball staff
So as a landlord you will see an iD Buddy account apply on your advert.
They should mention they are an iD Buddy of “insert names here” and as a landlord you can read the iD Buddy’s feedback but not the tenant’s as the tenant doesn’t have a verified Renterball account.
If you wish to rent to the tenant on Renterball you need to verify the iD Buddy’s driving licence and send them a RenterBall Agreement to sign
The landlord can them leave feedback on the iD Buddy’s account.
The system files a claim on the tenant’s NI Number that you are their landlord.
If the tenant gets a verified Renterball account they will be given your claim to sign and if they don’t sign it they can’t use RenterBall to apply on other adverts
So as a landlord you are able to technically now leave feedback on two people, namely the iD Buddy and the tenant if the tenant eventually registers an account on RenterBall.
This means you have a better chance of the tenant behaving well and if not a greater chance of recovering any debts
An iD Buddy with bad feedback will be unable to represent somebody else or be able to rent themselves
But isn’t that a guarantor ?
No, a guarantor is somebody who agrees to indemnify the tenant if they don’t pay their dues or causes damage. A guarantor is not a primary party to the agreement but is considered as additional comfort for the landlord. A guarantor will have a strong credit score and earn a sufficient income to meet the obligation. The guarantor therefore has to normally be a house owner who you can sue if the tenant owes you money.
However we strongly encourage landlords to insist the Guarantor also joins the tenant page and receives any feedback as well as the tenant
The more people you can leave feedback on, the better
If the iD Buddy or the Guarantor does not have a UK NI number and a/ UK driving licence, they cannot use RenterBall