Right to rent checks for landlords
Updated . Checked against official sources.
Before you let a home in England, you must check that every adult who will live there as their main home has the right to rent in the UK. Do it before the tenancy starts, keep a record, and you have a legal defence. Skip it and you can be fined up to £10,000 per person, or £20,000 for a repeat breach.
- Who to check
- Every adult aged 18 or over who'll live in the property as their only or main home, named on the tenancy or not.
- When
- Before the tenancy starts. For someone with time-limited permission, no more than 28 days before.
- How
- An online check with the tenant's share code, a manual check of original documents, or a registered digital checking provider for British and Irish passports.
- Follow-up
- For time-limited permission, check again before your excuse runs out: 12 months after the check, or when their permission or document expires, whichever is later.
- Keep records
- For the whole tenancy and 1 year after it ends.
- Where it applies
- England only. There's no right to rent scheme in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
How do I check a tenant's right to rent?
There are three ways. Use whichever fits the tenant, and treat every applicant the same way: checking only people you think aren't British is unlawful discrimination.
- Online, with a share code. The tenant gets a share code from the Home Office and gives it to you with their date of birth. You enter both on GOV.UK's check a tenant's right to rent service. Codes for right to rent start with R, and each code lasts 90 days. Anyone with an eVisa can only prove their right this way.
- Manually, with original documents. Check the originals in the tenant's presence, in person or by video call, using the Home Office lists of acceptable documents. Take a copy that can't be altered and note the date you checked.
- Through a registered digital checking provider. For valid British or Irish passports (including up to 6 months past expiry), you can pay a provider on the government's register to check identity for you. It's optional, and a tenant who'd rather show the passport in person mustn't be treated worse.
If a tenant has an application or appeal in progress and can't prove their status, use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service. It gives a yes or no within 2 working days, and a yes protects you for 12 months.
What changed on 1 October 2026?
New Home Office codes of practice came into force on 1 October 2026. The penalties didn't change, but the rules on how you check did:
- Digital identity checks must use a provider on the government's register of certified digital verification services.
- The lists of acceptable documents now include verifiable digital versions.
- You can't insist on digital evidence, and you mustn't disadvantage someone who can't use digital services.
- eVisa holders and people with time-limited permission must be treated the same as everyone else.
Biometric residence permits stopped being issued on 31 October 2024. An expired BRP isn't acceptable proof any more; ask for a share code instead.
What are the fines for not checking?
| Who you let to without a valid check | First breach | Repeat within 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Each tenant or other adult occupier | £10,000 | £20,000 |
| Each lodger in your own home | £5,000 | £10,000 |
A first-time penalty is reduced by 30% if paid within 21 days. Knowingly letting to someone without the right to rent is a criminal offence, with up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
Who's responsible: me, my agent or my tenant?
- You, the landlord, unless your letting agent has agreed in writing to do the checks. Then the responsibility moves to the agent.
- Your tenant, if they sublet or take in a lodger, unless you've agreed in writing to do those checks.
- Lodgers in your own home need checking too.
Some homes are outside the scheme, including social housing, care homes, hospitals, hostels and refuges, student halls, tied accommodation, mobile homes and leases of 7 years or more.
What if a follow-up check fails?
Report it to the Home Office as soon as you reasonably can, and before your statutory excuse runs out, using the landlord reporting form. Reporting keeps your defence. You don't have to end the tenancy yourself.
Never miss a follow-up check
Time-limited tenants need checking again before your excuse runs out. Our tracker will remind you. Join early access and we'll email you once when it opens. See what it does.
Questions landlords ask
Do landlords have to do right to rent checks?
Yes, in England. Before a tenancy starts you must check every adult who will live in the property as their main home, unless your agent has agreed in writing to do it.
How long before a tenancy can I do a right to rent check?
For someone with unlimited permission, any time before the tenancy starts. For someone with time-limited permission, no more than 28 days before.
How do I check a tenant's right to rent online?
Ask the tenant for a right to rent share code and their date of birth, then enter them on GOV.UK's check a tenant's right to rent service. Save the result. Share codes last 90 days.
What is the fine for not doing a right to rent check?
Up to £10,000 per occupier for a first breach and £20,000 for a repeat within 3 years. For lodgers it's £5,000 and £10,000.
How long do I keep right to rent records?
For the whole tenancy and at least 1 year after it ends, then destroy them securely.
Do right to rent checks apply in Scotland or Wales?
No. The right to rent scheme only applies in England.
Official sources
Rules checked against GOV.UK, HSE and legislation.gov.uk on 21 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. How this site works.