Find out what you need to do to prove your right to rent in the UK.
Right to rent checks
Landlords and letting agents are legally required to carry out checks relating to the immigration status of all their tenants to make sure that they have the right to rent in the UK.
This applies to all over the age of 18 living in private rented accommodation. These checks shouldn’t be undertaken until 28 days before the beginning of your tenancy.
A landlord isn’t allowed to discriminate against you on the basis of your immigration status.
If you’re a British or Irish citizen
You can prove your right to rent by providing:
- a British or Irish passport
- a certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen.
If you don’t have these documents, see other ways to prove your right to rent.
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen
You can prove your right to rent using your original immigration documents or an online share code. You can apply for an online share code from the Government if you have:
- a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). BRP cards have now been replaced by eVisas. However, if you had a BRP card you can use it to obtain a share code up to 18 months after the expiry date on the card
- a Biometric Residence Card
- a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account.
You'll have a UKVI account if you've ever:
- applied to the EU Settlement Scheme
- used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to prove your identity when applying for a visa
- created an account when applying for a visa
- created an account to get an eVisa.
Your landlord can use your share code to check if you can rent in the UK.
If you’re entering the UK as a visitor and don’t require a visa to study for a course up to six months
If you've been accepted onto a short-term course of study, for up to six months, you can enter the UK as a visitor. To evidence your right to rent you will need to provide your passport, plus evidence of entry to the UK.
Some individuals may receive a stamp in their passport which will evidence their date of entry to the UK. In these circumstances, a landlord can conduct a right to rent check by checking your passport and endorsement in it.
Acceptable evidence of travel to the UK may include (but is not restricted to) one of the following, or a combination of:
- an original or copy of a boarding pass or electronic boarding pass for air, rail or sea travel to the UK, establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceeding six months
- an original or copy of an airline, rail or boat ticket or e-ticket establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceeding six months
- any type of booking confirmation (original or copy) for air, rail or sea travel to the UK establishing the date of arrival in the UK in the preceeding six months
- any other documentary evidence which establishes the date of arrival in the UK in the preceeding six months.