Managing a rental property comes with plenty of responsibilities, and one of the most important is ensuring you complete Right to Rent checks correctly.
While the process is a legal requirement for landlords in England, it's often the record-keeping and follow-up that catches landlords out, not the initial check itself.
Here's what every landlord should know.
What Is a Right to Rent Check?
Under the Immigration Act 2014, landlords in England must check that every adult tenant has the legal right to rent before the tenancy begins. The scheme does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
These checks must be carried out for all prospective adult tenants, regardless of their nationality, to avoid unlawful discrimination.
Why Landlords Are Still Getting It Wrong
The challenge isn't always completing the initial check, it's keeping up with changing guidance and maintaining accurate records.
For example:
If a tenant has a time-limited right to rent, landlords may also need to carry out a follow-up check before that permission expires to maintain their statutory excuse against a civil penalty.
Common Challenges for Landlords
Many landlords don't struggle with compliance because they lack knowledge, they struggle because information is scattered.
Common issues include:
As portfolios grow, manual systems become increasingly difficult to manage.
Five Ways to Stay Organised
A simple compliance process can reduce risk and save time.
Good organisation makes it much easier to demonstrate compliance if you're ever asked to do so.
How Propell Helps
Compliance is easier when everything is in one place.
With Propell, landlords can:
Instead of searching through emails and spreadsheets, you'll always know where your records are.
Final Thoughts
Right to Rent checks remain an essential legal responsibility for landlords in England, but staying compliant is about more than completing one check.
Keeping accurate records, knowing when follow-up checks are required, and organising your property information can help you manage your portfolio more confidently and efficiently.
As compliance requirements continue to evolve, having the right systems in place today can save time and reduce risk tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
Do Right to Rent checks apply across the whole UK?
No. Under the Immigration Act 2014, landlords in England must check that every adult tenant has the legal right to rent before the tenancy begins. The scheme does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Who needs to be checked?
These checks must be carried out for all prospective adult tenants, regardless of their nationality, to avoid unlawful discrimination.
What is a follow-up check and when is it needed?
If a tenant has a time-limited right to rent, landlords may need to carry out a follow-up check before that permission expires to maintain their statutory excuse against a civil penalty.
Why do landlords still get Right to Rent wrong?
The challenge isn't always completing the initial check, it's keeping up with changing guidance and maintaining accurate records. Common issues include documents stored across multiple folders, compliance records mixed with emails, and forgotten follow-up checks.
How can landlords stay organised?
Complete checks before every new tenancy, keep copies of supporting documents securely, record when and how each check was completed, set reminders for follow-up checks, and store tenancy and compliance documents in one central location.
From Propell
Track every compliance deadline automatically with Propell
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