Are you a landlord who lets or sublets homes in England, or do you take in lodgers? If the answer's yes, you're legally required to check that all your adult tenants have the right to rent and live in the UK.
It’s called a right to rent check, and here's everything you need to know about it.
What’s a right to rent check?
It’s when you check the immigration status of anyone over 18 looking to rent a residential property in England.
As a landlord and letting agent, it’s your responsibility to make sure the people you’re renting to have the legal right to live in the UK.
This is the case even if they’re not named on the tenancy agreement, or there isn’t an official agreement.
Heads up, it doesn’t apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Who needs to carry out right to rent checks?
In England, you’ll need to carry out right to rent checks if you’re:
- a landlord or letting agent
- subletting a property
- taking on a lodger
What's changed with right to rent checks in 2026?
The Home Office is moving to a totally digital immigration system. Because of this, digital right to rent checks are being made more watertight.
Since 1 October 2026, any third-party service used for right to rent checks must be registered as a Right to Rent Digital Verification Service Provider. These providers are also known as RtR DVSPs.
Don't worry, you can still do a manual right to rent check. But if you want to go digital, make sure the service you use is an RtR DVSP before getting started.
Keep an eye on updates to right to rent checks in case things change again in the future.
How to carry out a right to rent check
There are a few ways you can do a right to rent check:
- do it yourself
- use a Digital Identity Service Provider (IDSP)
- get a digital share code
Here's how each works.
Use a certified Digital Identity Service Provider (IDSP)
The Home Office recommends using an IDSP. IDSPs are government-certified companies that can run the right to rent check for you online.
It can be useful because:
- it means less hands-on involvement for you, as someone else will do most of the work
- you'll have peace of mind knowing you’re using a secure method that meets government standards
If you do use an IdSP to carry out your right to rent checks, make sure it's registered as a Right to Rent Digital Verification Service Provider (RtR DVSP).
You can find one on the UK government's webpage.
Do your own manual right to rent check
If you’d rather, you can do carry out a right to rent check yourself. Here’s how to go about it.
Get the right documents
Ask your prospective tenant to show you the documents that prove their right to live in the UK.
That might be a:
- British passport (current or expired)
- Irish passport or passport card (current or expired)
- certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen
You can also accept:
- eVisa (electronic Visa)
- full UK birth certificate
- UK adoption certificate
- full or provisional UK driving licence
- DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate
- evidence of service in the UK armed forces
The UK government or the prospective tenant's employer, school or university can also write a letter proving they live in the UK.
Make sure this letter is dated as less than three months old, so you know it's still correct.
Just so you know, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) are no longer valid in the UK.
They've been replaced by eVisas - a digital copy of your tenant's identity and immigration status.
Your prospective tenants need to go to the GOV.UK webpage to get an eVisa if they don't already have one.
Check the details
After getting the right documents, check it over carefully to make sure it’s legitimate and acceptable.
If anything feels off or you're still unsure, request a digital right to rent check.
Keep records
If you're happy with the evidence given, make a copy by scanning or photocopying all the relevant documents. You could keep digital and hard copies just in case.
Using a digital share code if they're not a UK citizen
Anyone who's an official UK resident can rent with the right documents. But if they don't have a UK citizenship, the right to rent check works slightly differently.
You can often get a digital share code from people who don't have a UK citizenship. They can request this online from the Home Office.
To get this, they need to have:
- a settled or pre-settled status
- applied for a visa
- used the UK Immigration ID Check app to scan their identity document on their phone
Once they've given you their share code and date of birth, you can check their right to rent online.
Do I need to contact the Home Office?
In most cases, you can carry out right to rent checks without needing to contact the Home Office.
But you should speak to them if your prospective tenant:
- seems to have given you false documents
- says they have an ongoing application with Home Office
- says the Home Office has given them special permission to rent in the UK
Follow up checks
Make sure you check your prospective tenant's leave to remain status. This is official permission the government gives to non-UK citizens to stay in the UK for a certain amount of time.
If your tenant’s visa or leave to remain ends within a year, do a follow up check after a year if they still live in your property.
If it lasts for more than a year, do a follow up check whenever their leave ends.
What if I don't carry out right to rent checks?
You could be fined up to £20,000 per tenant or lodger if you skip right to rent checks.
In more serious cases, it can even result in a criminal charge or imprisonment. So, it's super important to get your right to rent checks sorted before starting any tenancy.
