Most references come back clean. The interesting ones come back with quiet inconsistencies that are easy to miss and important to chase.
Mismatches between sources
Employer references that quote a different salary than the payslips. Address histories that do not align with electoral roll data. Each mismatch is a follow-up call.
Recent CCJs
A historic CCJ alongside a clean recent history is one thing; a CCJ from six months ago is another. Treat recency as the signal that matters.
A previous landlord who is hard to reach
A previous landlord who never returns calls, or whose written reference looks unusually generic, is worth a second attempt. The information you do not get is often the most useful.
