Once you have submitted your application to rent, the landlord can Accept or Decline.
There are many reasons why a landlord would decline an application. If you don’t meet the income requirements, can’t provide a positive landlord reference, or have a negative credit history, the landlord may choose to decline your application.
They may also decline for reasons completely unrelated to your application - such as a change in circumstance that means they no longer want to let, or they have found another tenant.
If a landlord declines a tenant, the tenant will receive their full holding deposit back.