Everyone renting a home in England must pass a right to rent check. This is a legal requirement for all landlords and housing providers. If you can’t show you have the right to rent, we can’t offer you a tenancy.
What is a right to rent check?
A right to rent check proves you have permission to live in the UK. Before you move in, we must check the status of everyone aged 18 or over who will live in your home. This includes lodgers.
What documents do you need?
You’ll need to show us one of the following documents.
If you can’t provide these, we’ll ask for alternative documents. The government provides a full list of accepted documents on their website.
We must see original documents and take a copy or screenshot as proof.
- A valid or expired British or Irish passport (not cancelled or “clipped”)
- An immigration document or visa
- A share code from the UK government’s online service (for eVisa holders, EU settled or pre-settled status, or biometric residence permits)
- Other accepted documents if you don’t have a passport (for example, a UK birth certificate and a driving licence)
Questions about right to rent
Find the answers to frequently asked questions on your right to rent.
Who has the right to rent?
You have the right to rent if you can prove:
- British or Irish citizenship
- Indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
- Refugee status or humanitarian protection
- Settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Permission to be in the UK (for example, on a work or student visa)
- A time-limited right to rent granted by the Home Office
Ukrainian nationals
If you’ve left Ukraine because of the war and have Home Office permission to stay (such as a Ukraine Family Scheme or Sponsorship Scheme visa), you have the right to rent.
Refugees and asylum seekers
- If you have refugee status or humanitarian protection, you have the right to rent.
- If you’re seeking asylum and waiting for a decision, you usually do not have the right to rent privately, but you may get housing through the asylum support system.
What if your documents are with the Home Office?
If you can’t show your documents, we’ll need your Home Office reference number.
We’ll use the government’s landlord checking service to confirm your right to rent.
Are there any follow up checks?
If your permission to be in the UK is time-limited, we’ll do another check either within a year or when your visa ends, whichever is later.
What if I can't pass a right to rent check?
By law, we can’t offer you a tenancy if you fail a right to rent check. If you fail a follow-up check, we must inform the Home Office and follow their instructions.
Do you keep copies of my documents?
For data protection purposes, we keep copies of your documents securely for the length of your tenancy plus one year, in line with government rules.
Need advice?
If you’re told you don’t have the right to rent, or your permission to live in the UK has ended, get advice from Citizens Advice or a regulated immigration adviser.