Brexit and Right to Rent Checks
With Brexit plans finally beginning to fall into place, it is crucial for both landlords and tenants to understand the changes that will be happening. Private landlords will be continuing their Right to Rent checks in the same way until July 2021, however, this will change as new guidance is published in June. 2021
Any prospective tenants who are from the EU, EEA and Switzerland should still be checked in the same current way until July 2021. National ID cards it passports can be used as proof for their right to rent now that the Brexit transition date has come to an end.
The new guidance published in June 2021 will cover the new ways on how landlords should perform right to rent checks for EEA nationals. The Lettings Cloud will keep up to date on this guidance and will assist and support its landlords when approving tenants right to rent.
Last month the Government created an online service in order for landlords or agents to check tenants right to rent. In order to use the service, tenants must:
- have a biometric residence card or permit.
- have settled or pre-settled status.
- have applied for a visa and used the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan their identity document on their phone.
Tenants from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea or the US have been able to prove their right to rent differently since the 2nd November 2020. They now have to show their passport to their landlord, as well as a paper or an electronic document which shows their entry into the UK in the last 6 months (such as a boarding pass). Additionally, approval can be verified using the Government Online Landlord Checking Service.
Right to Rent Checks and Covid-19
At this moment in time, due to the pandemic, right to rent checks have been adjusted since the 30th March 2020. The following changes were made:
- Checks can be carried out over video calls
- Tenants can send scanned documents or a photo of documents for checks using email or a mobile app, rather than sending originals
- Landlords should use the Landlord’s Checking Service if a prospective or existing tenant cannot provide any of the existing documents.
These check changes will continue for the foreseeable future, however for more information, please visit the official Government article on Coronavirus (Covid-19): landlords right to rent checks.
The Lettings Cloud team will keep on top of all of these changes and inform our landlords and tenants accordingly. If you have any concerns, please give us a call on 01282 922 411 or email info@thelettingscloud.com. Don’t forget to follow us on social media for the latest updates!
