The ‘Right to Rent’ immigration check
Landlord and letting agents must check the immigration status of any prospective tenant, or other adults who will be living with the tenant, by asking for original documents showing that they are:
- are a British citizen; or
- are a citizen of a country in the EU or EEA; or
- are a citizen of another country but you have no time limits on your permission to live in the UK (indefinite leave to remain, for example); or
- have a time limit on your permission to stay in the UK, for example, a study or work visa, or you are a partner of someone settled in the UK, or you have humanitarian protection, limited leave or discretionary leave to remain.
Landlords and agents must take a copy of your documents – but they are not allowed to keep them. This is against the law.
Landlords and agents cannot discriminate in applying these rules – see the government’s right to rent landlord’s code of practice. This means that they must check everyone’s documents, not just those of people who might look like new migrants.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against as a result of a ‘Right to Rent’ check, you can find guidance about challenging it.
For further information about ‘Right to Rent’, please see: