How to Perform a Right to Rent Check for Homeowners

As a homeowner, it is important to understand the process of verifying the right to rent for tenants. This is a collection of guidelines to help landlords, homeowners and leasing agents correctly carry out checks on the right to rent and avoid civil penalties. The verification of the right to rent cannot be carried out more than 28 days before the signing of the lease agreement with the landlord. If you don't have any documents because you're waiting for an immigration decision from the Home Office, ask the landlord to ask the Home Office for a “right to rent” check.

They must respond within 2 business days. If you arrange your accommodation before arriving in the UK, your landlord or leasing agent will check your right to rent before moving to the property. You can check the physical documents of a British or Irish citizen yourself or use an online identity service provider (IDSP) to verify them. Provided that you have submitted a new visa application before the current one expires, the prospective owner can contact the Ministry of the Interior's online verification system for landlords to confirm that you have a legal right to stay in the United Kingdom. Property owners across England must check that someone has the right to rent before renting a property to them. You must check to people that they have a limited-time rental right no more than 28 days before the start of the lease.

These citizens can use a combination of their passport and proof of entry to the UK to prove their right to rent. Under these circumstances, the landlord can prove the right to rent by checking his passport and the endorsement on it. 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 perform a credit check to see if you've had trouble paying bills in the past. If you rent your property to someone who has no right to rent it in England, you can receive a fine of up to 3,000 pounds sterling for each tenant or be sent to prison.