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Right to Rent checks

Chris Horroll
Chris Horroll
  • Updated

Right to Rent requires landlords in England, or agents acting on behalf of the landlord, to check the residential status of their incoming tenants, ensuring they have legal status to live in the UK.

Checking a tenant’s right to rent

Digitally check - use a share code via the online checking service

If you're a landlord or an agent acting on behalf of the landlord, you can use a share code via the online checking service to check a tenant’s right to rent a residential property in England.

 Note

Tenants that have a physical Biometric Residence Permit or Biometric Residence Card, status under the EU Settlement Scheme or have been granted status digitally via an eVisa, can only evidence their right to rent using the online checking service and will need to apply for a share code

You can also check their original documents instead - for example if you don't have a share code for them.

Manually check

If you're a landlord or an agent acting on behalf of the landlord, to successfully check a tenant’s right to rent a residential property in England:

  1. Check which adults will use the property as their main home (your incoming tenants), then obtain an original item of identification for them. (All incoming tenants aged 18 or over - even if they're not named on the tenancy agreement, if there’s no tenancy agreement, or the tenancy agreement is not in writing)

  2. Check their documents to see if they have the right to rent the property
  3. Check that each of the incoming tenants documents are genuine and belong to them, with the tenant present. You cannot accept email scans
  4. Make and keep copies of all documents (photocopies or good quality photographs), record the date, and then keep them securely throughout the length of the tenancy, followed by an additional year after they vacate
  5. Return the original item(s) of identification once the check is complete

You must check that:

  • The documents are originals and belong to the incoming tenant
  • Their permission to stay in the UK hasn't ended
  • The photos on the documents are of the incoming tenant
  • The dates of birth are the same in all documents (and are believable)
  • The documents aren't too damaged or don't look like they’ve been changed
  • If any names are different on documents, there are supporting documents to show why, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree

Follow-up checks

If there’s a time limit on the tenant(s) permission to live in the UK (i.e. a visa that lasts for two years), follow-up checks must be made.

The follow-up check should be done just before the date that’s later than:

  • The end of the tenants permission to stay in the UK
  • 12 months after your previous check

How to record the check and store documents in Alto

Within Alto, a Right to Rent Check event can be created enabling you to see when a right to rent check is due, giving you time to carry it out up to 28 days prior to the tenancy commencing.

Adding a new Event against a contact

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Management on the side menu
  4. Click the Dates top tab
  5. Click Add Date
  6. The Add Date window opens. In the i dropdown menu, click the relevant type of date you wish to set a reminder for, i.e. Right to Rent Check
    (If such a date isn't visible within the dropdown, you'll need to set one up. Follow steps 1-10 in the Add a new event date section to do so)
  7. Click the appropriate Status (usually Pending as it's a new date reminder being added)
  8. Select the Due Date for the reminder
  9. Add any relevant Notes
  10. Click Update
    For more information on Adding a date to a contact, click here

right_to_rent_date.png

All upcoming event dates can be viewed and managed from the Event Dates widget on the Property Management Dashboard.

Review your Right to Rent Check event dates

  1. Click Home on the main navigation bar
  2. Click Property Management Dashboard on the Home screen side menu
  3. Scroll down to view the Event Dates widget. A list of varying types of event dates are shown with a corresponding number as to how many are due or overdue
  4. Click the Right to Rent Check event date
    right_to_rent_event.png
  5. In the Date Events window, you can use Filters to refine your results if necessary.
    Click the relevant Tenancy/Contact needing the check
  6. You'll then be taken to the Tenancy or Contact record Overview.
    On a Contacts record, click Management on the side menu. Click the Dates top tab
    On a Tenancy record, click Dates on the side menu
  7. The Right to Rent Check Event Type is listed. Click to update its Status, Due Date or Completed Date in line with when the Right to Rent check was/is to be carried out
  8. Click Update 

Upload documents

With the Right to Rent Check event date updated and/or scheduled, you can now look to upload the copies of their documents to their Contacts record.

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Documents on the side menu
  4. Click Upload Documents
  5. Click Add Files
  6. Locate and click on the stored document(s) on your computer or network. Click Open 
  7. The document(s) will display in the Select files section. Click Start Upload
  8. The document(s) will now be visible within the Documents side menu. Click Save

 The document(s) will now be saved to this contact record.

 Note

Documents can be uploaded to a contact in .doc, .pdf, .jpg and .png formats
For more information on How to upload documents to a contact, click here
For more information on Uploading documents to a tenancy, click here

Add a new event date

At this point you may wish to add a new event date to act as a reminder for document deletion. This will also be visible on the Event Dates widget on the Property Management Dashboard.

 Note

You will need access to System Administration, to edit your default settings. Your appointed Group Administrator will have access to these permissions

To add a new event date for document deletion:

  1. Click Tools on the main navigation bar
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Templates and admin
  3. On the side menu, under System Tools, click System Administration
  4. Click Group Settings
  5. Scroll down and click Management Diary Events
  6. Scroll down and click Create Management Date
  7. Enter a Name, i.e. RtR Document Deletion
  8. Enter a ShortName
  9. Enter a Description
  10. Click Create
  11. With the event date now Selected, you can then configure it accordingly by making it Available To the Tenant

Finally, you can now add the new event date against the contact:

  1. Click Contacts on the main navigation bar
  2. Select the relevant contact from Recent & Favourite Contacts
    1. Alternatively, find the contact using the Search Contacts bar in the top right
  3. Click Management on the side menu
  4. Click the Dates top tab
  5. Click Add Date
  6. The Add Date window opens. In the i dropdown menu, click the relevant type of date you wish to set a reminder for, i.e. RtR Document Deletion
  7. Click the appropriate Status (usually Pending as it's a new date reminder being added)
  8. Select the Due Date for the reminder
  9. Add any relevant Notes
  10. Click Update

 Best practice

With regards to audits and reports, you can run the Date Events Property Management report (via Reports>Reporting on the main navigation bar) to flag event dates in a certain timeframe.
For more information on Running reports, click here

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