Right to rent in England from 6 April 2022

Right to rent in England from 6 April 2022

From today certain rules and which documents can be accepted, have changed. Here are some key points that are relevant.

If an applicant or tenant is a British or Irish citizen then a valid or expired passport is acceptable. No further checks would be required for the duration of their tenancy.

If an applicant or tenant has an EU settled status then you can check with the home office here is the link https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent where the online checking service will have a copy of their valid document on file and no further checks would be required for the duration of their tenancy.

The physical biometric cards or permits can no longer be accepted for the right to rent checks. Instead the individual will either have to supply a share code which can be used on the link https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent  or use alternative documents that are stated in the Right to Rent Checks: A user guide for tenants and landlords (this document has not yet been updated to reflect the biometric card/ permit changes)

Nationals from any EEA country, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea or USA would be required to produce their passport and one of the following:

• An original or copy of a boarding pass or electronic boarding pass for air, rail or sea travel to the UK, establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceding six months 
• An original or copy airline, rail or boat ticket or e-ticket establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceding six months 
• Any type of booking confirmation (original or copy) for air, rail or sea travel to the UK establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceding six months 
• Any other documentary evidence which establishes the date of arrival in the UK in the preceding six months 

Individuals on a time limited permit including nationals from any EEA country, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea or USA can reside in the UK for a minimum of six months. A tenancy can be granted for twelve months as the next trigger point to check their right to rent documents would be either at twelve months or the expiry of the visa whichever date is longer.

If these residents plan to remain for longer than 6 months they will need to apply through the points based immigration scheme and will then be issued with the biometric residence permit or card and future checks could then be done online. Best practice is to check the card or permit once it is issued. Residents from the rest of the world will also come into the country on the points based system but do not enjoy the first 6 months without needing a visa.