Right to Rent Immigration Checks ‘Unworkable’

Landlords and letting agents lack the necessary know-how and training to enforce right to rent immigration checks, a leading London property firm has warned, as it condemned proposed sanctions as ‘disproportionate’. Right to rent checks were introduced towards the end of the Coalition government, to help combat concerns landlords were harbouring illegal immigrants in their properties. Those who fail to verify the immigration status of their tenants face fines of up to £5,000. The scheme has been piloted in the Midlands, where it has led to additional fees for tenants according to the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. Read more on the buildingconstructiondesign website.

Coalition Rolls Out Immigration Rental Check Scheme

The coalition government has begun an immigration rental check pilot scheme across five local authority areas in the Midlands. From 1 December, private landlords in the regions of Sandwell, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley will be required to check that their prospective tenants have a right to live in the UK before letting to them. Though the new rules will only apply to tenancies begun after 1 December, landlords that rent to anyone not legally entitled to reside in the country after that date will face a fine of £3,000. The new rules also apply to those who take in lodgers to "share their accommodation with a licence to occupy the property". Read more on the RLA website.