You may have seen throughout the media recently that the new Right to Rent Regulations will come into effect on the 1st February 2016 – this places requirements on Agents to check documents of prospective tenants before issuing a tenancy agreement.
As this is a new addition to the Private Rented Sector, we’ve put together some information on how it will affect you.
What is Right to Rent?
Right to Rent has been introduced to ensure that property in the Private Rented Sector is rented to someone who has the right to live in the United Kingdom. This scheme will be rolled out across the UK and checks must be done in your area.
When does it come in to action?
Right to Rent will come into action on 1st February 2016. From this date, all requirements and regulations must be met.
Who does Right to rent apply to?
Right to Rent checks will be carried out on all adult occupants proposing to occupy the premises whether or not they are named on the tenancy from 1st February 2016. Existing tenancy agreements will not be effected by the new regulations in Right to rent.
Who carries out these checks?
Right to Rent checks are to be carried out by the following:
> A landlord letting private rented accommodation
> A landlord or occupier that allows lodgers to live in the property
> A tenant or occupier with the rights to sub-let a property
> An agent appointed in writing by a landlord to take responsibility for complying with the Scheme
What happens if the checks aren’t completed?
If the checks aren’t completed and a property is found to have a tenant who does not reserve the right to live in the UK, a penalty of up to £3,000 per tenant can be issued.
Should checks be re-done at any point?
Checks should be reassessed if a tenant has only received a temporary right to live in the UK. Carrying out a follow up check will ensure that you are complying with the regulations and help to avoid any situations where you are in breach of the Right to rent regulations.
Belvoir Grantham are able to provide further information if required on the Right to Rent Regulations so please do not hesitate to contact the office by telephone: 01476 542100 or via email: carly.french@belvoir.co.uk.
Our Landlords can have full peace of mind that we are already putting processes in place to ensure that we are ready to comply with the requirements in readiness for the 1st February 2016.
