7 in 10 landlords are yet to understand their obligations under new “Right to Rent” rules?

With the threat of a fines of £3,000 it would appear that Landlords should be well up on knowing who are renting their homes and if they are entitled to do so… Though is it fair to say that 70% of landlords will not fully understand their obligations re Right to Rent?

The Government have made in clear that from February 2016 you must check that a tenant or lodger can legally rent your residential property in England.

A recent detailed report on the Guardian Website by well respected and award winning journalist Hilary Osborne includes quotes of “the RLA said more than 90% of 1,500 landlords it surveyed had not received any information from the government about this new legal duty

There are concerns that these new checks will lead to a whole new situation of legal issues including accusations of racism and discrimination.

The official Government website clearly gives indication to the new requirements:
How to make a check

  1. Check which adults will live at your property as their only or main home.
  2. See the original documents that allow the tenant to live in the UK.
  3. Check that the documents are genuine and belong to the tenant, with the tenant present.
  4. Make and keep copies of the documents and record the date you made the check.

Monday 1st February 2016 sees a new era for Landlords renting property so what will the next few months bring especially for those less informed and experienced? The current state of immigration in to the UK, especially re the fact that over 10 million UK residents are supposedly existing without passports, could mean that finding the right person to be your next tenant could become a lot more harder and indeed expensive!

Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is quoted as saying that “90% of 1,500 landlords it surveyed had not received any information from the government about this new legal duty, and 72% did not understand their obligations.”

 

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Rental yields climb across London

Tower Hamlets and Newham deliver strongest buy-to-let returns as rental yields climb across London   The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, reveals that Tower Hamlets and Newham currently offer the strongest rental yields for buy-to-let landlords, having also recorded the largest annual increases in rental yield across all London…
Read More
Overseas Property

World Cup host cities have seen house prices climb by 44%

World Cup host cities have seen house prices climb by 44% since 2026 tournament announcement   The latest analysis from Enness Global has revealed that property values across the cities selected to host matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup have increased by an average of 44% since the tournament was awarded in 2018, highlighting…
Read More
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Estate Agent Talk

Nearly Third of Homebuyers Choose Conveyancer Recommended by Estate Agent

New research from Lyons Bowe Solicitors has revealed that nearly a third of homebuyers choose a conveyancer recommended by their estate agent, while only 40% compare multiple firms before making a decision. The findings come at a challenging time for the UK housing market. According to the latest Zoopla House Price Index, annual homebuyer demand…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

FCA proposals to boost mortgages supply for underserved markets

Comments from Julian Sampson, Partner and Head of Lending Department at TWM Solicitors, a leading commercial law firm.   The FCA is announcing mortgage rule changes that should improve the supply of mortgages to underserved markets such as the self-employed, the elderly and borrowers with weak credit histories. Julian Sampson says, “There are still significant parts…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 9/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Why on earth is a tenant app exhibiting at an event for letting agents and landlords? Well known and respected lettings industry CEO Adam Pigott of Openbrix/tlyfe explains the logic behind showing a ‘tenant lifetime app’ at a premier agency event where there will be no tenants.…
Read More
Planning disputes on new build land
Breaking News

London land commands £105,213 per acre

The latest research from LandSale, the new property portal dedicated to land and rural property, has found that land in London commands an estimated average value of £105,213 per acre, almost eight times higher than the British average of £13,281 and higher than every other British region. This premium is being driven by a severe lack…
Read More