Right To Rent Checks
Wed 28 Apr 2021
Heather Revitt FARLA, Partner
Propertymark wrote to the Immigration Ministerlast year, liaised with Home Office Officials and provided information to MPs highlighting concerns with the practicality of the Right to Rent guidance, as evidence showed that tenants would not understand the need for repeating checks, leaving agents vulnerable to civil penalties if and when they need to provide a statutory excuse.
The UK Government has published guidance on its website for the return of in-person Right to Rent checks from 17 May 2021, saying repeats of adjusted checks will no longer be required.
Between 20 March 2020 and 16 May 2021, agents have been permitted to check ID documents using video calls due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the guidance stated that agents and responsible landlords would need to go back and conduct retrospective checks within eight weeks of the Home Office announcing that the temporary measures were ending.
PropertyMark stated
We are very pleased that the Home Office has listened to our concerns about the practical barriers that would have made it impossible for letting agents in England to repeat the volume of adjusted checks carried out over the last year due to the pandemic.
Looking forward, it's really important as we approach the end of the Brexit transition arrangements that letting agents can focus on getting to grips with the new system for all overseas nationals. This includes the new online Right to Rent service for those with a current Biometric Residence Permit or Biometric Residence Card or those granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme or the points-based immigration system. We are grateful to the Home Office for listening to our members and taking on board industry input from the sector.