Right to Rent Checks: Bristol Landlord Guide

Every adult aged 18 or over who will occupy as their main home must be checked:

• The named tenant on the tenancy agreement
• Any other adult who will live there
• Lodgers in your own home
• Consented subtenants

The duty applies regardless of nationality.

Three routes:

• Manual check. See the original document, take a copy, sign and date it.
• Online check via share code. Verify at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent.
• IDVT. Approved Identity Service Provider verifies a British or Irish passport remotely.

UoB and UWE between them have a large international student intake, especially from China, India, the EU, and the US. Routine check types:

• Student visa holders: online share-code check; diary follow-up for visa expiry
• EU citizens with pre-settled or settled status: online share-code check
• For HMOs in Redland, Cotham, and around UWE, run the check for each named occupier separately

If any occupier holds time-limited leave, schedule a follow-up before the visa expiry or 12 months from the initial check, whichever is later.

If follow-up shows no continuing right to rent, report to the Home Office and take steps to end the tenancy. The statutory excuse then protects you from civil penalty.

Per-occupier civil penalties from 2024:

• First breach: up to £5,000 per lodger, up to £10,000 per occupier
• Repeat breach: up to £10,000 per lodger, up to £20,000 per occupier
• Knowing or reckless breach: criminal offence, unlimited fine, up to five years' imprisonment

Practical sequence:

1. Collect nationality, immigration status route, and document types from every adult occupier
2. Run the right check route for each occupier
3. Save timestamped evidence to the file before signing the tenancy
4. Diary follow-up checks for any time-limited leave
5. Retain records for the duration of the tenancy plus at least one year

For HMOs, repeat the process every time an occupant changes.