Right to Rent Check: Complete Landlord Guide 2026
Before any adult moves into your rental property, you must verify they have the legal right to rent in the UK. This means checking original identity documents — a British or Irish passport, settled status share code, or valid visa. Fail to do this and you face a civil penalty of up to £10,000 per tenant.
How to Run a Right to Rent Check
See the original documents in person (or use the Home Office online checking service for biometric residence permits and share codes). Take copies, record the date of the check, and keep everything on file. The check must happen within 28 days before the tenancy starts. Our tenant screening guide covers Right to Rent alongside credit checks, references, and affordability.
Follow-Up Checks
If a tenant has time-limited permission to stay in the UK, you must run a follow-up check before it expires. Miss the follow-up and you lose your statutory excuse, meaning you’re liable for the penalty even if the tenant’s status hasn’t changed.
Right to Rent as Part of Your Letting Process
If you’re self-managing, build Right to Rent into your standard onboarding process. Our first-time landlord checklist includes every pre-tenancy check in the right order, so nothing gets missed. Read the complete landlord guide for the full picture of your legal obligations.
Full guide coming soon.