Extension to Temporary Arrangements for Right to Rent Checks

In April this year the government announced that the temporary adjustments relating to right to rent checks in England would end on the 16 May 2021. Please find the April information here .

The government made a further announcement on the 12 May 2021 that the temporary adjustments will now end on the 20 June 2021 to align with the easing of lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures, as set out in the government’s roadmap for England.

Until the 20 June 2021 the adjusted right to rent checks can be used. From the 21 June 2021, landlords or agents must either:

1. Check the applicant’s original documents; or

2. Check the applicant’s right to rent online (if the applicant has given you their share code).

Landlords and agents will no longer be required to carry out a retrospective check on those tenants who had a Covid-19 adjusted check between 30 March and 20 June 2021 (inclusive) as was suggested in previous Government guidance. The Government guidance has been updated and a link to the guidance can be found here .

Landlords and agents must continue to carry out checks. It is an offence to knowingly rent to a person who does not have the right to rent in the UK. You will maintain a defence against a civil penalty if the check you have undertaken during the 30 March 2020 and 20 June 2021 was done in the prescribed standard manner or as set out in the Covid-19 adjusted checks guidance.

The Right to Rent Checklists for Landlords and Agents have been updated to take account of the extension announced regarding the use of temporary arrangements to the right to rent scheme.