Right to rent roll-out announced
The Home Office has confirmed the roll-out date of the Government’s Right to Rent policy in England.
The Home Office has confirmed the roll-out date of the Government’s Right to Rent policy in England.
From 1 February, 2016 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.
The announcement was made on the same day that the National Landlords Association (NLA) gave oral evidence to the Immigration Public Bill Committee. The committee is currently considering plans to introduce greater powers for landlords to remove tenants that no longer have permission to remain in the UK, as well as plans to create an offence for those who fail to carry out checks.
Richard Lambert, 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.
“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.
“However, it’s vital landlords familiarise themselves with what they will need to do to properly check their tenants and steer clear of breaking the law come February, especially because those who fail to do so could wind up in jail.”
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