Landlords in Ryedale could face penalties of up to £3000 per tenant for failing to carry out checks on the immigration status of their tenants under a new compulsory ‘Right to Rent’ scheme.
‘Right to Rent’, which has been introduced under the Immigration Act 2014, will affect all new tenancies created from 1st February 2016.
Under the scheme, private landlords must carry out simple identity and citizenship checks on all adult occupiers before a tenancy commences. Homeowners who take in lodgers and individuals who sub-let are also legally obliged to carry out these checks.
Anyone over the age of 18 using the property as their only or main home should be checked to ensure that they have the right to reside in the country, even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement.
This responsibility can be passed onto a managing letting or estate agent.
Cllr Linda Cowling commented “Many local landlords and agents already carry out thorough checks when considering whether a tenant or lodger will be suitable, but this new legislation has now made this a mandatory requirement. Ryedale District Council are raising awareness locally to encourage good practice and inform local landlords and agents about their legal responsibilities”.
Original ID documents should be checked in the presence of the prospective tenant and the landlord must scan or photocopy the documents to prove that checks have been completed.
Full details of the documents required and process to be followed are available online www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents. A dedicated helpline is available for landlords to query the immigration status of a particular person on 0300 0699799.