The government has delayed changing its controversial Right to Rent rules until 30^th September to give letting agents more time to prepare for the digital system.

Interim adjusted checks were to end on 5^th April, but Ministers says that deferring the date ensures agents have sufficient time to, “develop commercial relationships with identity service providers, make the necessary changes to their pre-tenancy checking processes and carry out responsible on-boarding of their chosen provider”.

It would also allow them to put measures in place to enable face-to-face document checks if they did not want to adopt digital checks for British and Irish citizens with a valid passport, or Irish passport card.

Checks can still be carried out over video calls and tenants can send scanned documents or a photo of documents for checks using email or a mobile app, rather than sending originals.

Letting agents should use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service if a prospective or existing tenant cannot provide any of the accepted documents.

Scanned copy

When carrying out a temporary adjusted check, agents and landlords must ask the tenant to submit a scanned copy or a photo of their original documents and arrange a video call with them.

Agents should ask them to hold up the original documents to the camera to check against the digital copy of the documents, record the date and mark it as ‘adjusted check undertaken on [insert date] due to COVID-19’.

If the tenant has a valied Biometric Residence Permit or Biometric Residence Card or has been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme or the points-based immigration system, agents can use the online Right to Rent service while doing a video call.

But note that from 6th April, all biometric cardholders will prove their ‘right to rent’ using the Home Office online service only.