Right to rent check – landlord’s new obligations
If you are a residential property landlord, you should be aware that you are now required to check the right of your tenants to be in the UK before you rent out property in England. Failure to check carries severe penalties of up to £3,000 per tenant, and the requirements even extend to sub-lets and lodgers. You need to check all adults who will live in your property before the start of a new tenancy; but you also have to be careful not to discriminate unlawfully. You should:- Obtain a tenant’s original documents that allow them to live in the UK.
- Check the documents with the tenant present.
- Copy and keep the copied documents on file and record the date of the check.