Home Office – Right to Rent update

The Right to rent ‘Landlord’s Guidance’ has been updated to reflect the change in legislation due to come into force on the 1st July 2021. The legislation will change the way landlords carry out right to rent checks on EEA citizens. The updated guidance is available on GOV.UK: Click here.

Where checks are carried out before the 1st July 2021, EEA citizens may continue to evidence their right to rent using their EEA passport or national identity card. Whilst you may encourage the use of the online check, landlords cannot insist that individuals use the online service or discriminate against those who wish to prove their right to rent by presenting documents that are detailed within the list of acceptable documents.

Landlords are not required to carry out retrospective checks on EEA citizens who entered into a tenancy agreement up to and includingthe 30th June 2021, even in instances where they used their passport or national identity card as proof of their right to rent.

The updated code of practice, which accompanies this legislative change, is also available on GOV.UK: Click here