Right to rent
The landlord must check that a tenant or lodger can legally rent residential property in England.
Before the start of a new tenancy, they must make checks for tenants aged 18 and over even if:
- They're not named on the tenancy agreement.
- There's no tenancy agreement.
- The tenancy agreement isn't in writing.
If the tenant is only allowed to stay in the UK for a limited time, they need to do the check in the 28 days before the start of the tenancy.
More information on renting in the private sector can be found at the GOV UK website (opens in a new window).
How to rent
The Government have a How to Rent guide (opens in a new window), which should be given to all new tenancies starting after the 1st October 2015. Section 21 notices are likely to be invalid if signed without giving a copy of the guide to the tenant.