All landlords in England have a responsibility to prevent those without lawful immigration status from accessing the private rented sector. You do this by conducting right to rent checks on all prospective adult tenants before the start date of a tenancy agreement, to make sure the person is not disqualified from renting a property by reason of their immigration status.

Since February 2016, Right to Rent checks have been carried out face to face with ‘original documents’ in hand. However, this changed during the pandemic when lockdowns prevented tenants from presenting themselves at the letting agent’s office and as a result of the restrictions put in place by the Coronavirus Act 2020, the legislation relating to Right to Rent checks was temporarily adjusted until September 2022. This temporary adjustment allowed letting agents and landlords to conduct Right to Rent checks using digital platforms such as FaceTime or Zoom.