The 11-Point Vetting Checklist Every CMC Needs

I spent three decades watching CMC referrals land on my desk. The good ones were ready to run. The bad ones wasted hours of fee earner time before we had to reject them anyway. The difference was never luck. It was process.

Your vetting checklist needs eleven non-negotiable points. Tenancy status under the Housing Act 1985 or Housing Act 1988. Landlord identity and whether they are a local authority, housing association, or private sector. Notice history, specifically whether the tenant has reported disrepair in writing within the limitation period. Property access, meaning whether the landlord has been given reasonable opportunity to inspect and remedy. Current occupation, because former tenants have different evidential burdens. Disrepair category, distinguishing between structure, installations, and common parts under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Duration of the defects and impact on daily living. Medical evidence potential, particularly for respiratory or mental health claims. Photographic evidence quality and date stamps. Rent arrears position, since set-off arguments will surface. Finally, prior legal involvement or existing proceedings.

Each point exists because I have seen files rejected for failing it. The Court of Appeal in Earle v Charalambous confirmed that landlords need actual knowledge or notice of disrepair before liability crystallises. If your intake team does not verify notice history, you are referring cases that will collapse at the first hurdle.

The checklist is not bureaucracy. It is commercial protection. Panel solicitors track rejection rates by CMC. When your rate climbs above ten percent, you stop getting the best files placed and your payment terms tighten. I have seen CMCs lose panel relationships entirely because their vetting was sloppy.

Build the checklist into your CRM as mandatory fields. Train your intake staff to understand why each question matters, not just to ask it. Review rejections monthly and trace each one back to which checkpoint failed. That feedback loop turns your vetting from a form-filling exercise into a competitive advantage that keeps your referral pipeline healthy and your solicitor relationships strong.