Are you looking to rent a property and wondering what an entitlement to rent check is? This is a verification process similar to presenting your passport (and visa) to a border control officer at an immigration checkpoint. It is a requirement for all potential adult occupants of a rental property to show their identity documents in person to the landlord or rental agent. This is done to ensure that they are 18 years of age or older and are paying to use the property as their primary home, such as tenants, subtenants, and paying guests. Your landlord or leasing agent will ask you to present your immigration documents or passport when you start or renew your lease. They will also ask for the documents of any other adult living with you.
This is done to prove that you have the right to live in the UK and to rent, which is known as a “right to rent check”. The Government requires that all adults use the property as their sole or main dwelling, even if they are not included in the lease agreement. To avoid discrimination, landlords and rental agents must check all potential tenants and tenants. Property owners across England must check that someone has the right to rent a property before renting it out. If your permit to stay in the UK has a time limit, the landlord must do another check within a year or when your visa ends, whichever comes later.
If you rent a room to a tenant, you need to prove their right to rent, unless the landlord says they will.If you don't have any documents because you're waiting for an immigration decision from the Home Office, ask the landlord to request a “right to rent” check from the Home Office. A link has been added to a new guide for homeowners on right-to-rent checks from undocumented Commonwealth citizens. Your leasing agent and some landlords will also perform a credit check to see if you've had trouble paying bills in the past. You should get immigration advice if they tell you that you don't have the right to rent or that your permit to live in the UK has expired. The higher fines, which will take effect in early 2024, represent what the Home Office describes as the biggest reorganization of civil sanctions since checks were first introduced and will include charges of up to 20,000 pounds sterling for repeat infringements.
Read an overview of the right-to-rent checks and the civil penalties landlords may face for illegal rentals. If you have a visa or a residence permit for more than a year, the landlord must do a follow-up check when your license ends. If your visa or residence permit expires within one year, the landlord must do a follow-up check after one year if you still live there. The landlord or rental agent will use your participation code or documents to prove that you have the right to rent. If you rent to an illegal immigrant and haven't properly verified the right to rent, you could be fined up to 3,000 pounds per tenant. This collection provides information on how landlords, homeowners, and leasing agents can ensure they carry out necessary checks on the right to rent.
It includes guidelines on how they can properly verify this right and avoid civil penalties.
