Right to Rent Scheme Rolls Out

The Home Office has announced that from 1 February 2016, the Right to Rent scheme will be extended across England. This means all private landlords in England, including people who sublet or take in lodgers, will have to check their tenants have the right to be in the UK before renting a property.

The scheme is being extended following an evaluation of the first phase in the West Midlands (published on GOV.UK). The roll out has involved the input of a panel of industry experts, housing and homeless charities and local authorities. Right to Rent is one part of the government’s on-going reforms to the immigration system to make it harder for people to live in the UK illegally.

Landlords you will need to;

• Check your property will be the tenant’s main home
• Ask your tenant for the original document or documents that show they can live in the UK, e.g. Passport of Birth Certificate (full list on GOV.UK)
• Check the documents while the tenant is with you. Check the name, photo and expiry date.
• Make clear copies of the documents, record the date you made the check, and put the copies somewhere safe.

Information for Tenants

• Read how this affects tenants at www.gov.uk/righttorentchecks
• There is a range of commonly available documents you can use for Right to Rent checks on GOV.UK
• Checks will happen when you start a new tenancy or if there’s a break in your current one
• If you’re subletting your room, you’ll need to do a Right to Rent Check