Right to Rent Checks: London Landlord Guide

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

• The named tenant on the tenancy agreement
• Any other adult who will live there (partners, adult children, friends sharing)
• Lodgers in your own home
• Consented subtenants

The duty applies regardless of nationality. British and Irish nationals must be checked the same way as anyone else; the difference is which check route is most practical.

Three routes:

• Manual check. See the original document in the prospective tenant's presence, take a copy, sign and date it. Suitable for tenants with paper documents who can attend a meeting.
• Online check via share code. The tenant provides a share code from their UKVI account; you verify their status at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent. The standard route for most non-British, non-Irish nationals from 2026.
• IDVT (Identity Document Validation Technology). Use an approved Identity Service Provider to verify a British or Irish passport remotely. PropReady integrates with approved IDSPs.

Situations that come up frequently in London:

• International students: Student visa typically; run the online check and store the share-code result. Diary the follow-up for the visa expiry date.
• Skilled Worker visa holders: online check via share code. Visas usually run two to five years. Follow-up due before the expiry.
• EU citizens with pre-settled or settled status: online check. Pre-settled status needs follow-up before expiry; settled status is unlimited.
• Refugees and humanitarian protection holders: online check or paper status documents accepted. Right to rent confirmed.
• HMO room lets: check every adult occupant separately, not just the lead tenant. Each occupier is a separate Right to Rent duty.
• Multi-occupant student tenancies: check all named tenants and any other adults who will occupy.
• Diplomatic and international organisation staff: diplomatic passports and IO documentation are accepted. Treat as List A.

If any occupier holds a List B (time-limited) right to rent, follow-up checks are required before either:

• The expiry date of their immigration leave, or
• 12 months from the initial check, whichever is later

If the follow-up shows continued leave, save the new evidence and update the diary. If the follow-up shows no continuing right to rent, report to the Home Office promptly and take steps to end the tenancy. The statutory excuse then protects you from civil penalty.

Per-occupier 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

A statutory excuse applies if you carried out the check correctly and kept the record. A partial or sloppy check does not qualify. London enforcement is active; the Home Office runs targeted checks in areas of high HMO concentration.

Practical sequence for every new tenancy:

1. At application: collect nationality, immigration status route, and document types from every adult occupier
2. Run the right check route for each occupier (IDVT for British/Irish, online share code for digital status, manual for paper)
3. Save the timestamped evidence to the tenant's file before signing the tenancy
4. Set a diary entry for any follow-up check required (visa expiry or 12 months later)
5. Repeat the check before the diary date if leave is time-limited
6. Retain records for the duration of the tenancy plus at least one year

For HMOs and shared houses, run the process again every time the occupants change, not just when the lead tenant changes.