Feb

UPDATE: Ministers delay Right to Rent changes deadline for landlords

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

Temporary adjusted checks were due to end on 5^th April, but it says that deferring the date ensured landlords will 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 will also allow landlords and letting agents 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.

Video calls

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.

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

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

Listen to an advice podcast about Right to Rent by Paul Shamplina.

They 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 current Biometric Residence Permit or Biometric Residence Card or has been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme or the points-based immigration system, landlords can use the online Right to Rent service while doing a video call. From 6th April, all biometric card holders will evidence their right to rent using the Home Office online service only.

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