Check your tenant's right to rent
Landlords in England must check that a tenant or lodger has the right to rent before letting them a residential property.
You must carry out checks for:
- anyone who is 18 years-old or over
- all types of tenancy agreements, whether written or by word of mouth
If the tenant is only allowed to stay in the UK for a limited time, you need to do the check in the 28 days before the start of the tenancy.
For more information, including how to do a check, go to GOV.UK: Check your tenant's right to rent.
For information on long-resident Commonwealth citizens and other long-resident non-EEA nationals who have a legal right to live in the UK but do not have documents to prove it, go to GOV.UK: right to rent checks on long-resident non-EEA nationals and Windrush generation.
You should contact the government's Home Office if you think someone is living or working in the UK illegally, or is employing someone who is not allowed to work in the UK. Go to: GOV.UK: Report an immigration crime.
Our role
We are responsible for:
- enforcing private tenants' rights
- ensuing housing conditions and standards are maintained in privately owned properties
We work to achieve this by giving information, advice and financial assistance through grants and loans, subject to funding availability. If necessary, we take appropriate enforcement action.