Private landlord information

• From the 1 February 2016, landlords are now legally required to carry out immigration checks on tenants to ensure they have the right to live in the country.
• If landlords fail to carry out these checks and rent their accommodation to tenants who are not in the country lawfully, they may receive a civil penalty.
• Agents which are acting on behalf of landlords must also carry out these checks.
• Immigration checks must also be applied to lodging and subletting.
• These rules apply to tenants who will use the accommodation as their only or main home. For a home to be their only or main home, it must be either: the only property the person lives in or the property that they use for personal, legal or family matters.
• There are particular types of accommodation that the rules do not apply to. Click on the Citizens Advice Bureau link below to see which accommodation falls into this category.
• If a potential tenant has an outstanding immigration application or appeal with the Home Office, landlords can conduct a check on the person's 'right to rent' via the Landlords Checking Service.

Ensure you do the following

1. Obtain the original versions of the documents
2. Check their validity
3. Make and keep a clear copy and note down the date you made the check

Please note that this is only a general guide. Visit the links below for further detailed and useful information:

• Citizen's Advice Bureau - 'Immigration checks by landlords'
• Gov.uk - 'Right to rent document checks: a user guide'