Right to Rent Checks from 1 February 2016
The government has announced that the 'right to rent' check to be carried out by Landlords is coming into force on 1 February 2016. The Home Office has published a guide to carrying out those checks and those who rent to private individuals should get familiar as the penalties for failure to comply could be substantial.
Under the new rules, landlords who fail to check a potential tenant’s ‘Right to Rent’ will face penalties of up to £3,000 per tenant.
The new law will mean that private landlords, including those who sub-let or take in lodgers, must check the right of prospective tenants to be in the country to avoid being hit with a penalty.
Right to rent was introduced in the Immigration Act 2014 as part of the government’s reforms to build a fairer and more effective immigration system. The first phase was launched in parts of the West Midlands, and today’s announcement is the next stage of the scheme’s national roll out. ”