What is Right to Rent?
Right to Rent is a government scheme that makes landlords responsible for checking tenants have the legal right to live in England.
It was introduced by the government as part of The Immigration Act in 2014.
What’s changed with Right to Rent?
As part of the Home Office's shift to a fully digital immigration system, all foreign nationals now use an "eVisa" to prove their status.
Physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Cards (BRCs) expired at the end of 2024 and are no longer legally valid.
This means landlords and letting agents can no longer carry out manual 'Right to Rent' checks on foreign nationals under any circumstances. They cannot accept physical residence permits or visa stickers in passports.
Instead, you must use your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to generate a share code online to demonstrate your right to live and rent in the UK.
What does digital evidence of immigration status mean?
If you're a UK national, you may already have a digital or biometric passport or driving license.
Since 2010, the UK Government has issued biometric passports to UK nationals to improve the security of its borders.
The chip and the data held inside the passport is much more difficult to replicate than information on a printed page, making it tough for fraudsters and criminals to use your passport or identity.
What is an eVisa?
Today, your immigration status is stored completely digitally as an eVisa.
An eVisa is an online record of your immigration status and the conditions of your permission to enter or stay in the UK.
To access your eVisa and prove your Right to Rent, you must have a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.
Because physical documents are no longer valid for foreign nationals, you cannot provide a landlord with a physical card or visa sticker anymore. You must use the digital share code system.
Historically, foreign nationals living in the UK were issued physical Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) or Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs). However, the Home Office completely phased these out at the end of 2024.
Documents that prove your Right to Rent
How to prove your right to rent
Use the government's online form to prove your right to rent.
Prove your right to rent - GOV.UK
You access the government's online form by logging into your UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account. You will need the passport or travel document that is officially linked to your UKVI account to generate your share code.
This code must then be shared with your landlord.
How do landlords check a tenant's right to rent?
Once your landlord receives the share code from the tenant, they will use the government's online form to check their right to rent.
Letting agents acting on behalf of landlords can use the same form.
View a tenant's right to rent - GOV.UK
Once both parties have done the checks, you can sign and finalise the tenancy agreement.
What if I don't have the right documents?
If you can't provide the right documents, ask your landlord to contact the Home Office Landlord Checking Service.
Your landlord should get an answer within two working days.
Which documents are acceptable to check right to rent?
Right to Rent code of practice
What if I’m a member of the EU?
Since Britain’s departure from the European Union, EU citizens also need to prove they have a right to rent in the UK.
Like all other foreign nationals, EU citizens must now prove their status digitally.
This is usually done via an eVisa generated through the EU Settlement Scheme. You cannot simply show an EU passport or national identity card to a landlord to prove your right to rent; you must provide them with a digital share code.
What if I am a UK or Irish citizen?
The mandatory digital eVisa system applies to foreign nationals. If you are a UK or Irish citizen, you naturally have an unlimited Right to Rent and you do not need an eVisa.
You can continue to provide your landlord with physical documents, such as a British or Irish passport, to prove your right to live and rent in the UK. Landlords can also use certified digital Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) to check British and Irish passports remotely.
Are there changes to Right to Rent for UK nationals?
Yes. The checks are becoming increasingly digital.
Landlords can now use certified Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) and Identity Document Validation Technology (IDVT) to verify UK and Irish citizens remotely.
However, to use this digital system, you must have a valid British or Irish passport. A driving licence alone is not sufficient to prove your right to rent digitally or manually.
That said, using this digital system is not mandatory for UK nationals. If you do not have a valid passport, your landlord can still conduct a manual, in-person check using two other approved documents (such as combining your UK driving licence with an original UK birth certificate).
Find out more about Identity Service Providers and Identity Document Validation Technology.
What's the different between unlimited and time-limited right to rent in England?
There are two groups of people that have the right to rent in the UK; those with unlimited right to rent and those with a time-limited right to rent.
Unlimited Right to Rent
This group includes British citizens, Irish citizens, people who have the right of abode in the UK and those who have been granted indefinite leave to remain (which includes EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals who hold 'Settled Status' under the EU Settlement Scheme).
If you fall into this group, there is no time limit on your stay in the UK and you only need to complete a Right to Rent check once.
Time-limited Right to Rent
Anyone who falls outside the above categories will have a time-limited right to rent, so long as they also have valid leave to enter or remain in the UK for a limited period of time.
Time-limited right to renters also include people that are permitted to enter or remain in the UK as a result of Acts of Parliament, European Union Treaties and Immigration Regulations.