Right to Rent check lockdown measures extended: How landlords can safely check their tenant has the right to live in a property in England
- Right to Rent checks have been allowed to be carried out via video during Covid
- This was due to end on June 21 but has now been extended until SeptemberÂ
- The Right to Rent requirements have also been updated by the GovernmentÂ
Checking whether your tenant has permission to live in England is a legal requirement.
This hasn’t changed during the pandemic – but the way landlords and lettings agents are permitted to do this has.
Due to Covid, the Right to Rent checks have been allowed to be carried out via video.
This was introduced in March 2020 and was due to come to an end this month, with face-to-face checks being required once again after June 21.
Due to Covid, the Right to Rent checks have been allowed to be carried out via video.
However, these emergency measures have been extended, meaning that the checks can still be carried out by video until the beginning of September.
The Government has said that face-to-face checks will be required from that date going forward.
It announced the extension following its decision to delay the full suspension of Covid restrictions in England.
The Right to Rent requirements mean landlords must check that their tenants have the right to live in the property in England.
It involves checking their passports and any relevant documentation before a tenant moves into the property.
A tenant’s original documents were previously required to be checked in person.
The Right to Rent requirements mean landlords must check their tenants’ passports and any relevant documentation before a tenant moves into the property
The Government is also introducing new rules for checking the immigration status of tenants who are from the EU.
After July 1, landlords and letting agents will not be able to take EU nation passports and must use the Government’s online Right to Rent checking system instead.
Timothy Douglas, of the lettings body Propertymark, said: ‘Landlords should ensure the security and integrity of their Right to Rent checks.
‘They may wish to consider if there are opportunities to safely carry out standard Right to Rent checks in advance of the temporary measures coming to an end – particularly where a tenancy agreement does not start until or after the September 1, 2021.
‘This is the second time that the return to in-person Right to Rent checks has been delayed in line with wider Government safety guidance and Propertymark has been in contact with the Home Office following the Prime Minister’s announcement on continued restrictions.’
