Right to Rent policy to be rolled-out

The Home Office has announced plans to roll-out the Government’s Right to Rent policy across England, following a successful pilot in the West Midlands. From the start of February next year all private landlords letting property in England will be required to check the immigration status – or right-to-rent – of prospective tenants before agreeing to establish a new tenancy. Announcements concerning the implementation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected at a later date. Richard Lambert (left), Chief Executive Officer at the NLA, said, “This policy is causing great concern among landlords so we’re pleased that those with properties in England finally have clarity over when the scheme will be rolled out. “With just over three months to go it’s vital landlords familiarise themselves with what they will need to do to properly check their tenants in order to steer clear of breaking the law come February, especially because those who fail to do so could wind up in jail.” The Home Office’s evaluation of the scheme so far seems to show that landlords’ experience of carrying out right to rent checks is not as bad as the perception of the problems they will cause, but Daniel Watney…