Every Liverpool landlord must verify a prospective tenant's right to rent before any tenancy begins. With a large student population including significant international intake, Right to Rent checks are routine. This guide covers the rules and how to apply them efficiently.
£10,000
Civil penalty per occupier
£20,000
Repeat offence ceiling
Pre-tenancy
Check timing requirement
5 years
Record retention recommendation
Every adult aged 18 or over who will occupy as their main home: the named tenant, any other adult who will live there, lodgers, consented subtenants. The duty applies regardless of nationality.
Three valid check routes: manual (see the original document in person), online via share code at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent, or IDVT through an approved Identity Service Provider.
For international students at UoL, LJMU, and Liverpool Hope: online share-code check at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent; save the result; diary follow-up for visa expiry. EU citizens with pre-settled or settled status use the same online route. For Smithdown and Wavertree HMOs, run the check for each named occupier separately.
For time-limited leave, schedule follow-up before visa expiry or 12 months from 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.
Per-occupier penalties from 2024: first breach up to £10,000 per occupier; repeat breach up to £20,000; knowing or reckless breach is a criminal offence with unlimited fine and up to five years' imprisonment. Statutory excuse where the check was correctly carried out and evidence retained.
Collect nationality and documents from every adult occupier at application. Run the right check route for each. Save timestamped evidence to the tenant's file before signing. Diary follow-up for time-limited leave. Retain records for tenancy duration plus at least one year. For HMOs, repeat every time the occupants change.
Right to Rent is administered by the Home Office, not Liverpool City Council. The Landlord Checking Service is at gov.uk/landlords-immigration-check. Liverpool's Private Sector Housing team takes Right to Rent compliance into account when assessing licence applications.
Yes. Every occupier aged 18 or over needs a check.
Online share-code check at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent. Save the result. Diary the follow-up for visa expiry.
Document copy (manual), share-code verification (online), or IDSP evidence (IDVT). All dated. Keep for tenancy duration plus at least one year.
No. Discrimination on nationality without a proper check is unlawful.
Run follow-up check before expiry. If continued leave, save new evidence. If not, report to the Home Office and take steps to end the tenancy.
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