A Reminder - Changes to the Right to Rent Process
Changes have been made to the Right to Rent Scheme, to make it easier for landlords and letting agents to carry out checks and simpler for individuals to prove their right to rent. These changes will come into force on 2 November. The Right to Rent Scheme is currently in force in England only.
The changes enable landlords and letting agents to use a new Home Office online checking service, available from 25 November, on GOV.UK, to undertake right to rent checks. Furthermore, the list of documents a landlord or letting agent can accept as proof of right to rent has been updated to include a short UK birth and adoption certificate and documents issued to non-EEA family members under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The legislation and Code of Practice have been updated in line with guidance published in July 2019 for visitor nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA (known as B5JSSK nationals). Since May 2019, B5JSSK nationals have been able to use their passport and evidence of arrival in the UK within the preceding six months (physical or electronic copy of ticket or boarding pass) to evidence their right to rent.
Further information can be found on Landlords: immigration right to rent checks on GOV.UK.
A factsheet detailing the legislative changes can be found here
A Q&A document can be found here
Finally, queries about the Right to Rent Scheme can be sent to: RighttoRentandRighttoWork@homeoffice.gov.uk
How will the Four-Week Lockdown affect the Housing Market in England?
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a second national lockdown for England, through a Q & A on Twitter, Robert Jenrick clarified how this second Lockdown will impact the Housing Market.
Q: Can I still move house?
A: Yes – the housing market will remain open throughout this period. Everyone should continue to play their part in reducing the spread of the virus by following the current guidance.
Q: Are mortgage holidays ending?
A: No – the mortgage payment holidays will no longer end today and there will be further information published by the FCA on Monday.
Q: Should I still go to work on a construction site next week?
A: Yes – anyone who cannot work effectively from home should travel to work and follow the relevant guidance for their workplace. This is essential to keeping the country operating and supporting vital sectors.
Q: I previously shielded – will I need to do so again?
A: We will not ask people to shield in the same way again but if you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should minimise contact with others. We will publish full guidance the next few days.
Covid-19: Boris Johnson announces four-week lockdown for England
Last night Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a second national lockdown for England as the UK passed one million Covid-19 cases.
COVID-19 case numbers have risen rapidly across the whole of the UK and in other countries.
The scientific reports state that day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. That is why, from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December, the Government is taking the following action:
-
Requiring people to stay at home, except for specific purposes.
-
Preventing gathering with people you do not live with, except for specific purposes.
-
Closing certain businesses and venues.
These new measures have been carefully judged to achieve the maximum reduction in growth in the number of cases, preventing the NHS from being overwhelmed, whilst ensuring that schools, colleges and universities stay open and that as many people as possible continue to work.
Until Thursday 5 November, the relevant Local Covid Alert Level measures will continue to apply..
The new measures will apply nationally for four weeks up to Wednesday 2 December. At the end of the period, the Government will look to return to a regional approach, based on the latest data.
Things that go Bump in the Night - The History of Halloween
Halloween is celebrated each year on October 31 and it is a misconception that Halloween originated in the United States.
In fact the tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, in what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and signified the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the worlds of the living and the dead merged. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.