Renting a home can involve identity and eligibility checks, and the rules are not the same across the UK. This guide explains how the Right to Rent scheme works, what landlords and letting agents are responsible for, and what renters can expect when asked to prove their eligibility.
Change at a glance
New requirements apply when landlords use digital verification services for Right to Rent checks
The Home Office has updated the rules and guidance for checks carried out in England.
When
1st October 2026
The updated Home Office guidance applies to checks carried out on or after this date.
Where
England only
The statutory Right to Rent scheme does not apply to ordinary residential tenancies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
What changed
Registered digital providers
If a landlord chooses a digital verification service, the provider must be registered for Right to Rent checks. The guidance also clarifies acceptable evidence, including certain digital documents.
What has not changed
Not every check must be digital
Manual document checks and the Home Office online service remain available where appropriate. Existing tenants do not automatically need a new check just because the guidance changed.
Last checked: 4th November 2026.
The Right to Rent guidance changed on 1st October 2026
The Home Office updated its Landlord’s guide to Right to Rent checks on 1st October 2026. The main changes concern digital verification service providers (DVSPs), the requirements that apply when a provider carries out a check, and clarification of acceptable documents, including certain digitally issued versions of documents.
Where a landlord or agent chooses the digital verification service route, they must use a provider registered for the relevant Right to Rent purpose and follow the prescribed process. A general identity-checking product should not automatically be assumed to meet these requirements.
The update does not make every Right to Rent check digital. Depending on a person’s circumstances, the permitted route may be a manual document check, the Home Office online checking service, or a check through a registered Right to Rent digital verification service provider.
The three checking routes
Check the prescribed original documents, or eligible authoritative digital versions where the guidance permits them, and keep the required records.
Use the official online service when the person’s immigration status can be checked this way, normally using a share code provided by the person.
Use a provider registered for Right to Rent checks and follow the applicable requirements for the evidence and verification process.
Right to Rent checks apply to adult occupiers in England
Landlords and letting agents must check the Right to Rent of every adult aged 18 or over who will occupy a property as their only or main home. This applies regardless of nationality and whether the adult is named on the tenancy agreement.
The check should be completed before the tenancy agreement is entered into and before the landlord authorises occupation, following the timing rules in the Home Office guidance. The exact process depends on the person’s immigration status and the evidence available.
What renters need to know about the updated checks
For most renters, the key point is that the update does not automatically require you to obtain a new digital identity or sign up to a private verification service. Your landlord or letting agent should explain what evidence is needed and use a checking route permitted for your circumstances.
If you have an eVisa or another digital immigration status, you will generally need to use the Home Office online service to prove your status where that is the prescribed route. You can find the official instructions at GOV.UK’s official service for proving your right to rent in England.
If you are asked to provide documents, check the instructions carefully. Do not assume that a screenshot, ordinary scan or photograph of a physical document is automatically acceptable as a substitute for a prescribed check.
If you cannot provide the evidence requested or the online service cannot confirm your status, this does not by itself prove that you have no right to rent. The landlord may need to use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service in the circumstances described in the official guidance.
Landlords remain responsible for completing compliant checks
Landlords remain responsible for making sure the check is completed correctly, even when they ask a letting agent or digital service to help. A provider’s involvement does not remove the landlord’s legal responsibilities.
Landlords and agents should review their procedures against the guidance updated on 1st October 2026. In particular, they should:
- Check which Right to Rent route is appropriate for the person being checked.
- Confirm that any digital verification service used is registered for the relevant Right to Rent purpose.
- Use the Home Office online service when that is the required route, including for people whose status is evidenced through the service.
- Follow the prescribed steps for manual checks and only accept evidence permitted by the current guidance.
- Record the check and retain the required evidence for the required period.
- Arrange follow-up checks where a person’s right to rent is time-limited.
- Apply the process consistently and avoid unlawful discrimination.
For the full requirements, read the Home Office Right to Rent code of practice for landlords and agents.
Landlords must offer the checking methods permitted for each renter
No. A landlord cannot require someone to prove their right to rent using one particular method. They must give the person a reasonable opportunity to use any prescribed checking method available to them. Landlords must also avoid assumptions based on nationality, ethnicity, accent or appearance, and must not discriminate against someone because of the route they use.
The Home Office’s landlords’ code of practice explains how to carry out checks while avoiding unlawful discrimination. A landlord’s preferred process does not override the rules that apply to an individual case.
Existing tenants do not automatically need a new check
The updated guidance applies to relevant checks for tenancies beginning on or after 1st October 2026. It does not mean every existing tenant must repeat a check. A follow-up may still be required where a tenant’s permission to rent is time-limited, as explained below.
Follow-up checks apply to time-limited permission to rent
A follow-up check is required where a person’s permission to rent is time-limited. Landlords should complete it within the timeframe set out in the current guidance, before the relevant statutory excuse expires. No follow-up check is normally required where the person has an unlimited right to rent.
If a tenant cannot demonstrate their continued right to rent, the landlord should follow the Home Office procedure, which may include making a report to the Home Office to maintain a statutory excuse. See the official GOV.UK guidance on follow-up checks for the detailed rules.
Important for renters: A request for evidence is not the same as a finding that you do not have the right to rent. If a check cannot be completed through the expected route, the landlord should follow the Home Office process that applies to your circumstances.
The statutory Right to Rent scheme applies in England only
No. The statutory Right to Rent scheme applies in England. The October 2026 changes do not introduce these checks for ordinary residential tenancies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
If you rent a home in Scotland, for example, you do not need to follow the English Right to Rent process simply because the Home Office has updated its guidance. Other housing and immigration rules may still be relevant to individual circumstances, but they are separate from this England-only scheme.
Landlords can face civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance
Landlords who rent accommodation in England to someone who does not have the right to rent may face a civil penalty if they cannot show that the required checks were completed correctly. GOV.UK currently states that the penalty for a first breach can be up to £10,000 per tenant in rented accommodation, with higher penalties for repeat breaches. Different limits apply to lodgers in a private household.
In more serious cases, a landlord who knew or had reasonable cause to believe that a person did not have the right to rent can face criminal penalties. The rules are detailed, so landlords should consult the official GOV.UK guidance on penalties for illegal renting rather than relying on a summary alone.
RIGHT TO RENT CHECKS · 2026
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for renters, landlords and letting agents.
Can a landlord use facial recognition for a Right to Rent check?
Yes, but only through a registered Right to Rent digital verification service provider. Landlords are not required to use facial recognition, and they must offer an appropriate alternative where a person cannot complete the digital process.
Do I need a share code to rent a property in England?
Not everyone needs a share code. It is used for the Home Office online checking service where that route applies, including for many people with digital immigration status. Other prescribed checking routes may apply to other people.
What if the Home Office online service cannot confirm my right to rent?
The landlord may need to use the Landlord Checking Service in the situations covered by the official guidance, such as certain outstanding applications, reviews or appeals. The correct next step depends on your circumstances.
MORE FROM WHAT’S CHANGING UK
Related changes
Scottish private tenancy succession rules change →
See how the period for a qualifying household member to succeed to a private tenancy in Scotland changes.
Awaab’s Law brings new repair deadlines in Scotland →
Find out how new legal timescales affect landlords dealing with damp and mould in social housing.
More changes taking effect in October 2026 →
Browse the wider list of changes affecting households, work and everyday costs.