By Benham and Reeves
Nov 17, 2025, 11:08 AM IST
The Right to Rent check is a legal requirement ensuring tenants have permission to reside in the UK before signing a rental agreement.
This law applies only to England and excludes Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Landlords, letting agents taking in tenants are responsible for conducting Right to Rent checks and ensuring tenants comply.
Before a tenancy begins, landlords must verify a tenant’s immigration status and inspect original documents like passports or biometric residence permits.
Follow-up checks must be done if a tenant has a time-limited right to rent, ensuring their status remains valid.
If tenants lack proper documents, landlords can contact the Home Office for verification using the tenant’s reference number.