Right to Rent rules rewritten

From 5 April, letting agents and landlords will have to change how they handle Right to Rent immigration status checks.

Temporary rules brought in during the COVID-19 pandemic – including the option to check documents remotely over a video call, or accept scanned copies via e-mail – will expire.

From 6 April, landlords and agents conducting Right to Rent checks themselves will again have to check original (not e-mailed) documents in person (not remotely). Alternatively, they can check the tenant’s status using the Home Office’s online checking system, so long as the tenant has an identity document with a compatible share code. Biometric residence permits must be checked through the online system, not in person. 

Agents and landlords in England must carry out Right to Rent checks on all prospective tenants, whether or not they believe that they are British citizens. Failing to carry out checks can have severe consequences: unknowingly renting a property to someone who is not allowed to stay in the UK can carry a civil penalty of up to £3,000.

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