If you are renting a home in England and you are not a British or Irish citizen, your landlord must confirm that you have the legal right to rent before you move in. Right to rent checks for foreign tenants are a legal requirement under the Immigration Act 2014, and in most cases you will prove your status online using a share code generated on GOV.UK rather than by handing over physical documents.
This guide explains who the checks apply to, how foreign tenants prove their right to rent, what happens if your immigration status is time-limited, and the penalties landlords face for getting it wrong. It is written for tenants and landlords alike, so you know what to expect at each stage.
What a right to rent check is
A right to rent check is the process a landlord in England uses to confirm that a prospective tenant is legally allowed to rent residential property. It was introduced under the Immigration Act 2014 and rolled out across England in 2016.
Two points are worth understanding up front:
- The scheme applies only in England. There is no right to rent requirement for tenancies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
- Every adult who will live in the property as their main home must be checked, even if they are not named on the tenancy agreement.
The check must be completed before the tenancy begins. A landlord who lets someone move in first and sorts the paperwork later loses the legal protection the check provides.
Who needs to prove their right to rent
Whether you use a share code or physical documents depends on how the Home Office holds your immigration status, not simply on your nationality.
British and Irish citizens prove their right to rent with documents such as a passport, and cannot generate a share code. Everyone else, including most foreign nationals, will usually prove their status online. This group commonly includes:
- EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
- Non-UK nationals holding a visa recorded digitally as an eVisa.
- Former holders of biometric residence permits, whose status is now held online through a UK Visas and Immigration account.
Since 1 July 2021, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can no longer use a passport or national ID card to prove their right to rent. They must use the online service instead, which is one of the most common points of confusion for recent arrivals.
How foreign tenants prove their right to rent
For most foreign tenants, the share code is now the standard route. A right to rent share code is a nine-character code, beginning with the letter R, that you generate yourself through the official GOV.UK service. It lets a landlord check your status online without interpreting physical documents.
The share code process, step by step
- Go to the GOV.UK service for proving your right to rent.
- Enter your date of birth and details from your UKVI account, eVisa, settled or pre-settled status, or a current passport linked to your digital status.
- Select proving your right to rent as the reason for the code.
- The system issues your nine-character code.
- Give the code and your date of birth to your landlord or letting agent.
Your landlord then enters the code and your date of birth into the GOV.UK checking service, and confirms that the photo on screen matches you. A share code is valid for 90 days, so if your property search runs long you may need to generate a fresh one.
For more info: you can start the process on GOV.UK’s prove your right to rent service.
A common mistake: the wrong share code
Share codes are purpose-specific, and it is easy to generate the wrong one. A right to work share code, used by employers, is created through a different service and will not return a result on the right to rent checker.
If a landlord tells you your code does not work, the most likely reason is that you produced a right to work code by mistake. A quick way to check is to confirm the code begins with the letter R, which the right to rent version always does.
Physical documents as an alternative
Not everyone proves their status online. The Home Office guidance sets out lists of acceptable documents for a manual check, split into two broad groups:
- List A covers documents that show an unlimited right to rent, such as those held by people with indefinite leave to remain or settled status.
- List B covers time-limited documents, where the right to rent lasts only as long as the person’s permission to stay.
If you have unlimited leave and a document that proves it, a manual check may still be possible. Where your status is held digitally, though, the online share-code route is generally the required method, and insisting on a document check can cause avoidable problems.
Read also- how much income do I need to rent in London
Time-limited status and follow-up checks
If your immigration status is time-limited, for example pre-settled status or a fixed-length visa, your right to rent is also time-limited. That means your landlord must carry out a follow-up check before your permission expires to keep their legal protection in place.
As a tenant, the practical takeaway is to keep your immigration status current and be ready to generate a fresh share code when asked. If your permission is extended, an updated online check simply confirms your continuing right to rent. If it has lapsed and is not renewed, the landlord has reporting obligations to the Home Office, so staying on top of renewal dates protects you as well as them.
What landlords risk by getting it wrong
Right to rent checks matter to landlords because the penalties for non-compliance are significant. The civil penalty amounts were increased on 13 February 2024 and now stand as follows:
| Breach | Per lodger | Per occupier |
|---|---|---|
| First breach | Up to £5,000 | Up to £10,000 |
| Repeat breach | Up to £10,000 | Up to £20,000 |
Beyond the civil penalty, a landlord who knowingly lets to someone disqualified by their immigration status can commit a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine and, in serious cases, imprisonment. This is why landlords tend to be strict about completing checks properly and before the tenancy starts.
Your rights and avoiding discrimination
The Home Office code of practice is clear that landlords must carry out checks in a fair, consistent way for every prospective tenant, regardless of whether they assume someone is British, settled or subject to immigration control. Checking only tenants who look or sound foreign is discriminatory.
If you feel a landlord has treated your application unfairly on the basis of nationality or immigration status, you can raise it and seek advice from a housing charity or advice service. The scheme is designed to be applied to everyone equally, not used as a reason to filter out foreign applicants.
How to make your check go smoothly
A right to rent check rarely causes problems when you prepare for it, but delays at this stage can cost you a property in a fast-moving market. A few simple habits keep things moving:
- Set up your UKVI account and confirm you can access your eVisa before you start viewing properties.
- Generate your share code close to the point you need it, since it lasts only 90 days.
- Double-check the code begins with the letter R, so you know it is a right to rent code and not a right to work one.
- Have your date of birth and passport or identity details to hand when you share the code.
- Respond quickly if a landlord or agent asks for an updated code or a follow-up check.
Getting these basics right means the check becomes a formality rather than a sticking point, and it signals to a landlord that you are an organised, low-risk applicant.
The bottom line
Right to rent checks for foreign tenants are a routine but essential part of renting in England. In most cases you will generate a share code on GOV.UK, hand it to your landlord with your date of birth, and let them verify it online. Keep your immigration status current, generate a fresh code if your search takes more than 90 days, and be ready for a follow-up check if your status is time-limited. Handled early, the check is a quick step rather than a hurdle.
This article is for general information and is not legal or immigration advice. For guidance on your own status, consult a qualified immigration adviser or an accredited advice service.
Frequently asked questions
Do right to rent checks apply outside England?
No. The scheme applies only in England, so landlords in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not required to carry out right to rent checks.
How long is a right to rent share code valid?
A share code is valid for 90 days from the date you generate it. If your property search runs longer than that, you will need to create a new one.
Can my landlord accept a screenshot of my share code?
No, your landlord must run the check themselves through the official GOV.UK service using your code and date of birth. A screenshot or printout you provide is not enough on its own.
What if my visa or status is time-limited?
Your right to rent is time-limited to match your permission, so your landlord must carry out a follow-up check before it expires. Keeping your status current and generating a fresh share code when asked keeps everything in order.
For more info: landlords verify a code through GOV.UK’s check a tenant’s right to rent service.
