Retrospective Right to Rent Checks no Longer Required
The Home Office has announced that landlords & letting agents are no longer required to carry out retrospective Right to Rent checks on tenants who were right to rent checked by digital methods between 30 March 2020 and 16 May 2021.
As a result of the first and subsequent lockdowns, letting agents and landlords have been permitted to carry out Right to Rent checks through over digital platforms such as Skype, Zoom or FaceTime. However, Home Office guidance stated that lettings agents and landlords would need to go back and carry out retrospective checks within eight weeks of the Home Office announcing that restrictions were lifted. Clearly, the restrictions have been semi-lifted and then reinstated, creating a back log in retrospective face-to-face checks that would have to take place.
Letting agents are relieved that the temporary adjustments to right to rent checks due to COVID-19 are ending.
From 17 May 2021 landlords and letting agents must either:
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check the applicant’s right to rent online, if the applicant has provided their share code and date of birth