Updated ‘How to Rent’ guide launched next month
3 years ago | 4 comments
Right to rent checks?
11:10 AM, 21st September 2023, 3 years ago
10
Hello, could anyone from Property118 please help? As fines are going to increase from early 2024 does anyone know how we can ask the home office to check whether a passport document is genuine?
There are some excellent forgeries out there so how are we supposed to differentiate if unsure?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Will
Note: Guides from the Home Office to help landlords with right to rent checks can be found in the following links.
Link 1: Here
Link 2: Here
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Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3515 - Articles: 5
12:16 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
basically you wont know.
You can only cover yourself by showing you took ALL measures and followed all guidance to ensure you complied to the requirements.
At the end of the day we are not Border Force! I would personaly have no idea waht a Peruvian passport would look like – the only thing you have to make sure is that in this instance the right to rent is confirmed by the Home Office and this is normally done by asking for a share code.
If a tenant has come to you form a LA then they should also be able to provide you with docuementation that backs up your evidence.
Member Since June 2021 - Comments: 51
12:57 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
Most right to rent checks for foreign nationals are online now via Right to Rent code, and you don’t check passports. You do still need to check British, Irish, and a few others. Basically your checking it’s not damaged, no cut marks around the photo, and it “looks” like a passport (an A6 bit of paper with the word passport written on it is clearly not a genuine passport). I’m only aware of the home office fineing people that deliberately let people without a right to rent in England.
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 198
1:34 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
Can I just ask for clarity….if checks are carried out by letting agent (as mine are) would I be responsible as the landlord….and who would be making the relevant checks for authenticity once the property been let?
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 192
2:40 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
” the buck stops with the Landlord ”
The fine will be in your name not the LA
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 198
5:13 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DAMIEN RAFFERTY at 21/09/2023 – 14:40
Ok understood. Presumably then there will be additional guidelines that we landlords have to check over and above checks LA’s currently do.
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 192
8:23 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
No you really have to check for yourself that the LA has actually done what you pay they to do.
Being a Landlord is NOT a hands off and watch the money roll in scheme.
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 198
8:51 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by DAMIEN RAFFERTY at 21/09/2023 – 20:23I’m always vigilant in checking detail but there is only so much checking anyone can do as per Will’s question. I have actually read the links provided and No hate plz has provided some good information too.
Is your last sentence necessary or appropriate though?
Member Since October 2020 - Comments: 1168
10:29 PM, 21st September 2023, About 3 years ago
As above, you don’t need to check the passport any more. If theyre a foreign national then you MUST use a share code. If they are British then you have the option of paying one of the Online Identity Service Providers.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1442 - Articles: 1
12:44 PM, 23rd September 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by RoseD at 21/09/2023 – 13:34
As with everything the buck stops with the landlord. A letting agent is only acting as your servant – in legalise speech
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 55
2:01 PM, 29th September 2023, About 3 years ago
Look at the photograph to guard against imposters. This is as common as forgeries. There can be some good efforts made to look like a genuine passport holder. Right to rent checks require their code and date of birth the onus is on them to provide it to your if they want to rent. When you put those two figures in to the computer you get a small printout with their photo and what permissions they have to rent until when. . Gov.uk website is where it is at.