Being a landlord in the UK comes with a long list of responsibilities, from narrowing down to a suitable tenant to ensuring the property is well-maintained. No matter how tedious they seem, some tenancy tasks just can’t be ignored.
It’s always good to have help from a letting agent or a property manager to tick off all your essential duties. The Right to Rent check is one such key element that needs to be carried out before you sign the dotted line.
The Right to Rent scheme came into force in 2014. Initially, this legislation met with some resistance, but after subsequent amendments to the law, it was deemed a necessary landlord-tenant exercise by the Home Office.
Taking you one step closer to a long-lasting landlord-tenant partnership, Habitare is a property management service provider helping landlords and tenants alike. Our bespoke services iron out all the kinks in the tenancy process, from carrying out the Right to Rent checking service to regular property inspections.
In this blog, we discuss the details of the Right to Rent legislation and what it means for landlords and share our top tips to guide you through the checking process.
Right to Rent Guide for Landlords
Habitare’s detailed Right to Rent guide for landlords can ensure a smooth checking process according to Right to Rent law guidelines.
What Does the Right to Rent Law State?
The Right to Rent law is an essential part of every assured shorthold tenancy. Being a legal requirement, all landlords in the UK must follow this law.
By this law, landlords are legally required to check the residential status of their incoming tenants. This process confirms whether or not your prospective tenants are eligible to rent in the UK. This check can be carried out at any stage, whether at the initial rental stage, during the extension of tenancy, or at any other time.
Landlords need to obtain a copy of the tenant’s passport and immigration documents, if and when applicable. These documents will then need to be further cross-verified by the letting agent.
Alternatively, you can use an approved identity service provider (IDSP) for checking IDs. You can also view your tenant’s Right to Rent through the Home Office’s ‘share code’ system.
What Does a Landlord Have to Check?
Landlords are legally bound to do the following:
- Collect an original identification document for all incoming occupants over 18 years old
- Cross-check and verify the identification document’s authenticity
- Make photocopies of all the documents
- Return the original documents to the tenant
As the landlord, if you’re unable to conduct checks for any reason, you’re free to appoint an agent offering the Right to Rent checking service to check on your behalf. Contact our experts if you need a professional to conduct these checks for you.
Who Does a Landlord Not Have to Check?
Tenants are exempt from the Right to Rent checks if they’re planning to live in or living in one of the following property types:
- A hostel
- A student accommodation
- A hospital, care home or a hospice
- Social housing
- Refuge
- Mobile home
11 Tips for Landlords for a Smooth Right to Rent Check
- Checking tenants under the Right to Rent scheme rules that all above 18 occupants must be present in person or via video conferencing with their original documents during the check.
- Digital scans of documents are invalid.
- All prospective tenants must be checked under the Right to Rent law, even if their names are not on the agreement.
- The collected documents need to be cross-verified and referenced with the eligible list of documents listed on the government’s website.
- If your incoming tenant uses identification from List A, the check needs to be carried out before the start of the tenancy.
- If your prospective tenant uses an identity document from List B, the check needs to be completed within 28 days before the tenancy starts.
- Ensure the validity of the documents by checking the expiry dates on passports, visas, and other time-bound travel documents.
- Landlords need to keep these documents safe during the tenancy and for a minimum of a year after the tenancy ends.
- Take the GDPR law into account when keeping a record of the documents.
- If your tenants are on a limited-time visa, ensure follow-up checks when the visas are due for renewal.
- If you’ve allowed your tenants to sublet your property, anyone who rents via subletting also needs to go through Right to Rent checks. This time, your tenant needs to conduct the checks and not you. If you’re against subletting your property, ensure you put a clause in the rental agreement restricting subletting activities.
Take the confusion and stress out of the Right to Rent law, and let the experts of Habitare take on the checks. With our Right to Rent service, we’ll take care of the documentation and practical tasks so you can focus on your other duties as a landlord.
Contact Habitare for Reliable Right to Rent Checking Services
Guiding landlords through the Right to Rent process, Habitare can assist landlords in letting their properties minus the hassles. Through our Right to Rent services, we’ve helped countless landlords work through the necessary checks and secure tenants. By facilitating these checks smoothly, you’re helping to establish transparent and open landlord-tenant communication from the get-go.
You can count on us for contract management, maintenance and repair, block insurance, and more.
Contact us today to learn more about our wide array of services.