Right to Rent 1st February 2016

Posted on January 25th, 2016

From 1st February 2016, in England it will be an offence to let private rented accommodation to someone who has no legal right to be in the UK or no “right to rent”.

This applies to new tenancies starting on or after 1st February 2016 and requires landlords to inspect and copy certain documents (for example a passport or biometric residence permit) in order to confirm prospective tenants’ right to rent.  If a prospective tenant has an outstanding immigration application or an appeal with the Home Office, landlords can request a Home Office Right to Rent check.  A yes or no answer will be provided within 2 working days.

Landlords who don’t make the checks could face a civil panalty up to £3,000 per tenant if they are found to be renting out a property to someone who is in the UK illegally.

For further information- go to GOV.UK