Right to Rent immigration checks adjusted to make it easier for landlords

Right to Rent checks has been temporarily adapted due to coronavirus, to make it easier for landlords to carry them out.

Effective immediately, the temporary changes to the scheme, which requires landlords to check that all tenants who occupy their properties have legal status to live in the UK, will mean the Home Office will not require landlords to see original documents and will allow checks to be undertaken over video calls.

These temporary changes will mean that during the coronavirus outbreak prospective renters  are now able to submit scanned documents, rather than originals, to show they have a right to rent or right to work.

Checks continue to be necessary and it is an offence to knowingly employ or let property to anyone who does not have legal immigration status in the UK.

If a prospective or existing tenant cannot provide any of the accepted documents, the landlord or employer should use the Landlord Checking Service or Employer Checking Service.

Home Secretary Priti Patel commented: “I have introduced these temporary changes to help employers and landlords conduct checks more easily as people follow advice to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives, during the coronavirus outbreak.”

Once the temporary changes end, landlords will be asked to carry out the full checks on existing tenants who rented a property or started work during the pandemic.

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