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

February 3, 2016

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

Breaking News

Mansion tax would hit London hardest

Mansion tax would hit London hardest, as capital accounts for 66% of all homes sold above £2m so far this year The latest data insight from Enness Global has revealed that, should the Chancellor introduce a 1% annual mansion tax on properties valued over £2 million, the measure would overwhelmingly target London homeowners, with two-thirds…
Read More →
Breaking News

Share of first-time buyers opting for low-deposit deals rose 8.6% in October

Barclays mortgage data shows deposits under £20,000 made up 22.1 per cent of first-time buyer completions in October 60 per cent of renters say they would require financial incentives or homebuying support schemes to get onto the property ladder Confidence in the housing market dipped three percentage points to 24 per cent month-on-month, although sentiment…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Nearly one in five potential movers waiting for Budget before resuming plans

A new Rightmove study of over 10,000 potential movers looks at how Budget speculation is affecting decisions Nearly one in five (17%) potential movers said they have paused their plans due to uncertainty about changes to property taxes in the upcoming Budget The majority (61%) of potential movers surveyed said they were aware of rumours…
Read More →
Breaking News

Latest ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index

Average UK monthly private rents increased by 5.0%, to £1,360, in the 12 months to October 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 5.5% in the 12 months to September 2025. Average rents increased to £1,416 (5.0%) in England, £817 (6.7%) in Wales and £1,008 (3.4%) in Scotland, in the 12 months…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Winter property checklist: How to protect your home this season

As temperatures drop and winter approaches, Propertymark, the leading professional body for estate and letting agents, is urging homeowners and tenants to prepare their homes for the colder months with a few simple maintenance checks that can prevent costly damage and ensure safety and comfort throughout the season. According to Propertymark, winter is one of…
Read More →
Breaking News

London homebuyers have paid nearly £25bn in Stamp Duty over the last decade

The latest research from Jefferies London shows that, as many await news of potential Stamp Duty reform in the upcoming Autumn Budget, homebuyers across the capital have collectively paid almost £25bn (£24.9bn) in Stamp Duty over the last ten years, with buyers in prime central London contributing the largest share by a considerable margin. Jefferies…
Read More →