20/04/2026
🚨🏠 LANDLORDS BE CAREFUL WITH RIGHT TO RENT CHECKS 🚨⚠️
New guidance has been released and a lot of landlords are going to get caught out by this 👀
It is not just about doing the checks anymore… it is about HOW you do them ❗
If your process is not consistent, you could be at risk of a discrimination claim ⚖️
Here is the simple version 👇
✅ You must carry out Right to Rent checks on EVERY adult tenant
✅ You must treat EVERY applicant the same
❌ You cannot make assumptions based on nationality, name, accent, or appearance
That means you cannot 🚫
Only check people who seem “foreign”
Prefer UK passport holders
Reject someone because their documents look different
Treat visa holders differently
Even if it is unintentional, it can still be classed as discrimination under the Equality Act ⚠️
What you should be doing is simple 👇
✔ Use the same process for every applicant
✔ Explain clearly that checks are required
✔ Accept both digital and manual documents
✔ Keep records of everything 📂
If someone has a time limited visa, you can still rent to them 🏠
You just need to carry out follow up checks when required 🔁
The biggest risk for landlords is inconsistency ⚠️
If you treat one applicant differently to another, that is where problems start
The safest approach is this 👇
✅ Check everyone
✅ Check everyone the same way
✅ Document everything
This is exactly why having a structured onboarding process is so important now, especially with the Renters Reform changes coming in 📢
If you want help building a compliant system, drop me a message