RLA supports legal review of Right to Rent scheme
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) announces in a press release their support for judicial reveiw of the Right to Rent scheme.
Under the Right to Rent Scheme, landlords are responsible for checking the immigration status of their tenants with the prospect of prosecution if they know or have “reasonable cause to believe” that the property they are letting is occupied by someone who does not have the right to rent in the UK.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is supporting an application by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) being heard in the High Court on Wednesday for a Judicial Review of the policy. Both organisations argue that the policy discriminates against foreign nationals, especially those, such as the Windrush generation, who cannot easily prove their right to remain in the UK.
Research by the RLA has found that, as a result of the right to rent policy, 42 per cent of landlords are now less likely to rent to someone without a British passport for fear of prosecution for getting things wrong. This poses serious difficulties for the 17 per cent of UK residents who do not have a passport, a group that is more likely to be in rented accommodation.
Nearly half, 49% of landlords are less likely to rent to someone with limited leave to remain and 44 per cent of landlords would only rent to those with documents familiar to them. In practice, this is likely to again mean a British passport.
Commenting, David Smith, Director of Policy for the RLA, said:
“The Windrush scandal has shown that even trained immigration officers can make serious mistakes. This highlights how inappropriate it is to demand that untrained landlords become enforcers of government immigration policy.
“Those who cannot easily prove their right to rent with documents landlords are clearly familiar with are finding it increasingly difficult to access the homes they need.
“In reality the Right to Rent is creating a hostile environment for those who need, and are legally entitled to, housing in the UK but cannot easily prove it. This is causing needless tension and concern for tenants and landlords.
“It is time to suspend this controversial and unwelcome policy.”
Read the RLA press rlease 4th June in full click here.
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