Source: https://england.shelter.org.uk
What is the right to rent?
Before renting out a room or a property, private landlords and agents
are legally required to check the immigration status of:
• the tenant or lodger
• any other adults who
will be living there
They don’t have to check the status of children under 18, or guests who
stay in your home but don’t pay rent.
Who has the right to rent?
You have the right to rent if any of the following apply:
• you’re a British or
EEA citizen
• you have indefinite
leave to remain or settled status
• you have refugee
status or humanitarian protection
• you have permission
to be in the UK, for example, on a work or student visa
• the Home Office has
granted you a time limited right to rent
If your permission to be in the UK has a time limit, your landlord must
do a further check after 12 months or when your leave ends if this is sooner.
Passports and residence documents
You can show a passport or residence document to pass the check. If
you're not an EU national, your passport or documents must confirm your
permission to be in the UK.
If you don't have a passport, you have to provide 2 alternative
documents instead. For example, a UK birth certificate and driving licence.
Find a full list of acceptable documents on GOV.UK:
Right to rent user guide
The landlord or agent will take copies of the documents you show them.
It's against the law to discriminate against potential tenants on the
grounds of race, ethnicity or nationality. For example, landlords can't refuse
to consider a tenant just because they don't have a British passport.
If your documents are with the Home Office
The landlord can either:
• request a right to
rent check on GOV.UK
You need to give them your Home Office reference number.
If you fail a right to rent check
The landlord or agent can't legally offer you a tenancy if you fail a
right to rent check.
Try and get immigration
advice urgently if you're told you don't have permission to live in the UK.
The following page asks for you to provide the documents needed.