Right To Rent... Bigger then Ben Hur

Right to Rent checks are now in force! This very important requirement of the Immigration Act has been causing much debate in the lettings industry and in various blogs, articles and magazines - however, there is no reason why complying with the requirement should not be fairly straightforward - anyone capable of making and keeping records (ie, any organised person or business) should find it fairly easy to comply but the phrase "Bigger than Ben Hur" springs to mind when I see some of the fuss that is being made. However, busy landlords may overlook this requirement at the tenant find stage and thus risk a big fine. Of course, a good agent, such as Proudhouse Property Management and Lettings, will take care of all this for you along with all the other administration required for setting up a tenancy.

So what's required?

For anyone who is not aware, there is now a requirement for landlords and/or agents to check the identity of tenants (and lodgers) and confirm they have a right to rent a property in the UK. This is for ALL tenants - even if it seems obvious that the tenants have a right to rent. Compliance can be achieved by checking and making a dated copy of an official ID document, within 28 days prior to a tenancy commencing - this record then needs storing. Verification is also to be made that the tenant intends to use the property as their main home. The aim of this blog article is to inform our readers and clients that we are setup and ready for this legislation. The actual requirements are detailed here:

www.gov.uk - Right To Rent

As it happens, we have always done this but we will now be formalising the arrangements in our Service Agreements.

For our existing clients we will contact you (when appropriate) to clarify and assign responsibility for conducting Right to Rent checks (for managed properties we'll do it for you, as will we for our tenant-find only clients).

For our clients who are self-managing and who arrange bespoke services through us then feel free to call us for free advice on your obligations.

For any other landlords out there then you need to be aware of this legislation and comply with it. You could be fined £3000 if you do not comply! We can also arrange one-off services for you and do these checks for you if you require. Feel free to contact us here for a friendly and free consultation.

By Chris Chambers
Owner of Proudhouse Property Management and Lettings.

Proudhouse manage properties throughout South Somerset and are are gaining a reputation for excellent customer service through a range of lettings and property services. Proudhouse are dedicated to property rentals and offer a first class personal and professional service. Proudhouse are not a sales office, franchise or part of a corporate chain.