New Right to Rent Landlord Requirements Published 20/10/2015
The government has announced today that from 1 February 2016, all private landlords in England will have to check new tenants have the right to be in the UK before renting out their property.

This is the latest phase of The Immigration Act 2014 to be announced by the Home Office – commonly known as ‘right to rent’. All landlords and letting agencies who allow a tenancy must comply.
 

What is involved with the new ‘Right to Rent’ requirements?

Anyone renting a private property in England must see – and retain a copy of – evidence that any new adult tenant has the right the rent in the UK. This right can be either continuous or time limited.

This requirement is compulsory for both landlords and letting agents. Both are subject to fines of up to £3,000 per tenant for failure to comply.
Under ‘right to rent’, landlords should check identity documents for all new tenants and take copies. The scheme has been designed to make it straightforward for people to give evidence of their right to rent and a range of commonly available documents can be used.

Jason Dyer of JTM Homes said: “Our Lettings team is fully informed of the right to rent requirements and will ensure that our landlords understand what is involved.”
 

The government’s statement about right to rent:

In announcing the latest right to rent phase, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said:

“Right to rent checks are quick and simple, and many responsible landlords already do them as a matter of routine. We are providing landlords in England with all the advice and support they need before the checks go live on 1 February 2016.

"The new rules are part of the Immigration Act 2014 which introduced measures to reform the immigration system. Right to rent is about deterring those who are illegally resident from remaining in the UK. Those with a legitimate right to be here will be able to prove this easily and will not be adversely affected.

"The government’s new Immigration Bill builds on the reforms in last year’s Act, making it harder for people to live and work in the UK illegally. The Bill proposes new measures to make it easier for landlords to evict illegal tenants as well as a new criminal offence targeted at unscrupulous landlords who repeatedly fail to carry out right to rent checks.”
 
If you are an exitsing landlord of think of letting your property and would like to know more, speak to the Lettings team at JTM Homes. We’re here to help.