These checks are simple and relatively quick, but knowing what to provide before you enter the process will speed up your application.
You will be assessed on whether you have the right to rent if you are applying for a residential tenancy. This is any property that involves any licence, lease, sub-lease or sub-tenancy that gives the right for the tenant to occupy the property, demands rental payments, and isn’t excluded from the scheme.
Landlords have to check the eligibility of all adults who live in the property – that’s everyone over the age of 18. Your landlord has to check if you have a right to rent even if you’re not named on the tenancy agreement, or if there is no tenancy agreement, or if the tenancy agreement isn’t in writing.
To have the right to rent, you must fall within one of these two categories:
If you’re only allowed to stay in the UK for a limited amount of time, your landlord must carry out these checks 28 days before your tenancy begins. You will only be checked if you’re applying to rent a property in England, which means those applying to rent a property in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland don’t have to worry about completing these checks.
When it comes to right-to-rent checks, certain documents have higher authority than others. Providing a more authoritative document as evidence of your right to rent will mean that it only has to be verified once, speeding the process up. These documents include (but aren’t limited to)…
If you cannot provide a single-qualifying document, you may be able to provide a combination of two other documents that prove your right to rent. These can include…
For those attempting to establish a time-limited right to rent, the following documents will support your application:
For international applicants, it’s worth noting that you might have to repeat the check at a later date to establish that you still have the right to rent. The British government can provide a comprehensive list of documents that can be used to determine your right to rent.
Knowing what to expect from your right-to-rent check will enable you to prepare for it before it happens. Knowing whether or not you will need to be checked and what documents to prepare beforehand will speed up the process. The easiest way to manage the application is to find a landlord who values transparency, as being informed on the involved processes will help you adopt a forward-thinking attitude regarding your rental agreement.
Before you can even consider you right to rent, you have to find the perfect property. We offer premium apartments in connected locations – get in touch for a seamless rental process.
Disclaimer: This blog is not legal advice for you to use in complying with Right to Rent, whether as a landlord or a tenant. Instead, it provides background information to help you better understand Right to Rent. You may not rely on this as legal advice or as a recommendation of any particular legal understanding. More information on Right to Rent can be found here: www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents
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