October sees end of Adjusted Right to Rent checks

From 1 October 2022, landlords and lettings agencies responsible for tenancy applications and repeat Right to Rent checks will need to return to manual face-to-face checks for UK and Irish citizens, whilst checks on overseas nationals will need to be processed using the Home Office’s share code system. This will increase the costs of remaining compliant with Right to Rent checks, as the system allowing Adjusted checks (using Zoom calls and copies of documents) will end.

Adjusted checks were introduced as part of COVID-19 measures to reduce face-to-face contact and were extended while the Home Office worked to introduce a robust digital solution for checks on UK and Irish nationals.

Tenants will be unaffected, as the introduction of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that any costs incurred in delivering Right to Rent checks remain unchanged and cannot be passed on to applicants.

Once Adjusted Right to Rent checks end, where landlords or agents do choose to utilise a digital check, they must also offer manual checks for British and Irish nationals who choose for their identity to be verified offline, and must not discriminate on this basis. Digital checks on overseas nationals can be made simply using a digital share code and date of birth provided by the applicant and checked via the real-time Home Office system.

Follow up Right to Rent checks for overseas nationals remain as important as ever as ultimate responsibility for a check lies with either the landlord or their designated letting agent, with failure to undertake the check potentially leading to a civil penalty in the event of investigation by the Immigration Service.

At LettingsONE, we will continue to undertake face-to-face checks for UK and Irish citizens and offer digital checks for overseas nationals, using the Home Office’s share code system.

If you have any questions or concerns about Right to Rent checks or want more information about our lettings and property management services, please contact us on 0161 511 5339 or complete our contact form.