Every Sheffield landlord must verify a prospective tenant's right to rent before any tenancy begins. With around 60,000 students and significant international tenants across the city, checks are routine for active landlords. This guide covers the rules.
£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. Three valid routes: manual check (see original in person), online via share code at gov.uk/view-right-to-rent, IDVT through an approved Identity Service Provider.
For international students at Sheffield Uni and Hallam: online share-code check; save the result; diary the follow-up for visa expiry. For HMOs in Crookesmoor, Walkley, Crookes, 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. Report to the Home Office promptly if leave ends. Per-occupier penalties: first breach up to £10,000; repeat up to £20,000; knowing breach is a criminal offence.
Collect documents from every adult at application. Run the right check route. Save timestamped evidence before signing. Diary follow-up. Retain records for tenancy plus at least one year. For HMOs, repeat every time occupants change.
Right to Rent is administered by the Home Office, not Sheffield City Council. The Landlord Checking Service is at gov.uk/landlords-immigration-check.
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 follow-up for visa expiry.
Document copy (manual), share-code verification (online), or IDSP evidence (IDVT). Dated. Tenancy duration plus at least one year.
No. Discrimination on nationality without a proper check is unlawful.
Run follow-up check before expiry. If not renewed, report to the Home Office and take steps to end the tenancy.
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