Right to Rent Checks in England: A Practical Landlord Guide

Right to Rent checks apply to residential letting in England. Before allowing an adult to occupy a property as their only or main home, a landlord or responsible agent must use an authorised check route and keep the prescribed evidence.

A correctly completed check can establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty if an occupier is later found not to have a right to rent. The landlord is not deciding immigration status; they are following the current Home Office evidence process.

This page was reviewed on 12 July 2026. The Home Office published new Right to Rent codes on 30 June 2026, but they come into force on 1 October 2026. Checks carried out before then follow the code currently in force. This page must be reviewed before 1 October 2026.

Who and what must be checked

Check every prospective adult occupier aged 18 or over who will use the property as their only or main home. This includes adults not named on the tenancy agreement and arrangements that are oral or implied.

Apply the process consistently to all prospective adult occupiers. Do not check only people who appear not to be British or make assumptions from a person's name, accent, nationality or appearance.

The scheme does not cover every residential arrangement. GOV.UK lists excluded accommodation and agreements. Check the current scope rather than assuming every licence or tenancy is included.

“Only or main home” is not a simple test of whether the person spends a majority of their time at the address. Where someone has more than one home or the position is unclear, use the circumstances in the current Home Office guide and record the decision.

Children and occupiers turning 18

The scheme does not apply to children. A landlord may treat someone as a child where they are reasonably satisfied that the person is under 18.

A child who turns 18 during an existing tenancy does not need an immediate Right to Rent check solely because of that birthday. If follow-up checks are later due for occupiers with time-limited rights, include the person who has since turned 18.

Choose the authorised route

Use the live GOV.UK check flow and current landlord guide. The available routes are:

1. Manual document check. Use original acceptable evidence from the current Home Office lists and complete the obtain, check and copy steps.
2. Digital Verification Service check. A DVS, called an identity service provider in some guidance, can be used for eligible holders of valid British or Irish passports, including Irish passport cards. Use an appropriately certified provider, check that the result belongs to the person presenting and retain the required output.
3. Home Office online check. Where an occupier has digital status, they provide a Right to Rent share code and date of birth. Use the landlord service, match the photograph and details to the person and save the dated response.

A DVS check is optional. British and Irish citizens must not be disadvantaged because they cannot provide a share code.

Use the Landlord Checking Service (LCS) where the GOV.UK flow directs it. This includes certain cases involving an outstanding application or appeal, a Certificate of Application, Home Office permission to rent, or unavailable usual evidence. Keep the Home Office response and reference, including any follow-up date it gives.

Manual checks and retained evidence

For a manual check:

• obtain the original acceptable document or documents;
• check them in the presence of the holder, following the current guide; and
• make a clear copy that cannot later be altered and record the check date.

Check that the evidence appears genuine, belongs to the person presenting it, and is consistent across the photograph, date of birth and names. Follow the official guide where evidence is unclear.

Do not maintain a local exhaustive document list. Home Office List A and List B can change, and some occupiers must use an online or LCS route. Direct staff to the current landlord guide.

Keep manual copies securely for the duration of the tenancy and for one year after it ends, then securely destroy them in line with data-protection requirements.

For online, DVS and LCS checks, retain the prescribed dated profile, provider output or Home Office response. A screenshot supplied by an applicant is not a substitute for the landlord completing the authorised route. A spreadsheet tick is not a substitute for the retained evidence.

Initial timing and follow-up checks

Complete the initial check before authorising an adult to occupy the property.

For someone with a time-limited right to rent, the initial check must be completed no earlier than 28 days before the tenancy starts. A person with an unlimited right can be checked at any time before the residential agreement is entered into.

A time-limited statutory excuse requires a follow-up. Under the code currently in force, the eligibility period is generally the later of:

• one year from the last check;
• the end of the person's permission to be in the UK; or
• the expiry of the document that evidenced that right.

Complete the follow-up before the eligibility period ends, using the manual or Home Office route that then applies. A newer check can extend the period.

If a follow-up indicates that an occupier no longer has a right to rent, or they do not cooperate, follow the current Home Office reporting instructions promptly and keep the report reference. A later report cannot repair the absence of a valid initial check.

Non-discrimination and the October code change

Use one written workflow for every adult occupier: identify everyone aged 18 or over, offer the authorised routes available to that person, allow a reasonable opportunity to provide evidence, and record the outcome.

How someone proves their right may vary. Do not demand one route where another authorised route is available, and do not treat people with time-limited status less favourably.

The current Right to Rent and discrimination codes apply to checks before 1 October 2026. The new codes published on 30 June 2026 apply from 1 October 2026, including relevant follow-up checks from that date. Review staff instructions, templates and this page before commencement.

Practical evidence checklist

For each checked adult, retain:

1. Their name and property or tenancy reference.
2. The route used: manual, DVS, Home Office online or LCS.
3. The check date and prescribed evidence.
4. Confirmation that the evidence related to the person presenting.
5. Whether the statutory excuse is continuous or time-limited.
6. The follow-up date and responsible person where required.
7. The retention and secure-destruction date.

Keep access to personal records limited. If an agent performs checks, document who is responsible for initial checks, follow-ups and reporting.

This is general information for England, not legal advice. Check current GOV.UK guidance or obtain advice for a specific tenancy or occupier.