Right to rent

This article is intended to give guidance for landlords and tenants on how the right to rent checks should be carried out and which documents are acceptable. It is important for both landlords and tenants to understand what responsibilities they have to comply with the right to rent regulations.

The Right to Rent was introduced under the Immigration Act 2014, this requires landlords to ensure that tenants are legally allowed to live in the country and if they are legally allowed to rent a property. These checks need to be carried out prior to the start of any tenancy; these checks are required for all tenancies not only for those tenants coming from abroad.

If a property is rented to a person who isn't legally entitled to rent a property within the United Kingdom and the landlord hasn't completed the appropriate checks, they can be fined for each offense and expose themselves to the possibility of imprisonment.

Tenants are required to provide evidence of their right to reside in the UK. The best way to do this is by supplying a copy of your passport and a visa should one be required. There are other documents that can be used, please follow the link below for a comprehensive list.

It is also the landlord's responsibility to check if the tenant's visa has expired, for example if the tenant has a time limited right to rent in the UK. The landlord is legally bound to retain the information that the tenant has supplied when securing the tenancy.

More information can be found by clicking the link to the Home Office website below.