Right to Rent
The legal requirement on all private landlords in England to check every adult occupier has the legal right to rent in the UK before the tenancy starts. Introduced by the Immigration Act 2014. Fines: £1,000 per adult for a first offence, rising to £20,000 for repeat breaches.
At a glance
- Scope
- Every adult occupier (England)
- Timing
- Before tenancy starts
- First-offence fine
- £1,000 per adult
- Repeat/severe
- Up to £20,000 + criminal offence
Full guide
Read the complete landlord guide on Right to Rent
Deadlines, fines and step-by-step compliance in our in-depth resource.
Open full guideWhy Right to Rent matters for landlords
Right to Rent is the check that goes wrong most often at tenancy setup because it feels like a formality. Landlords who accept a passport photo over WhatsApp and never verify a digital share code are exposed to the full civil penalty. Since 2022 the digital check route (via the Home Office Landlord Checking Service) produces a dated audit record the landlord can store — that is the cleanest defence.
Official sources
LetCompliance editorial reviews this entry every quarter against the sources above. Always confirm specific duties with a qualified solicitor or your local council.
Related terms
Immigration Act 2014
The Act that created Right to Rent, requiring landlords in England to check every adult occupier has the legal right to rent in the UK. Penalties for failing to check or for knowingly renting to someone disqualified can reach £20,000 per tenant or a criminal offence.
Renters Rights Act 2025
UK legislation that received Royal Assent in 2025 and came fully into force on 1 May 2026. Abolished Section 21 no-fault evictions, converted all ASTs to periodic tenancies, extended the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS, introduced a private rented sector database and gave tenants the right to request pets.
Arrears (Rent Arrears)
Unpaid rent that is past its due date. Ground 8 of Schedule 2 to the Housing Act 1988 (mandatory) requires at least 3 months of rent arrears under the Renters Rights Act 2025 (previously 2 months). Grounds 10 and 11 remain as discretionary grounds.
AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy)
The most common form of private tenancy in England. From 1 May 2026 all existing ASTs converted to assured periodic tenancies under the Renters Rights Act 2025, and new fixed-term ASTs can no longer be created for most residential lets.
Awaab's Law
Provisions extending to the private rented sector under the Renters Rights Act 2025 that set strict timescales for landlords to investigate and remedy hazards such as damp and mould. Named after Awaab Ishak. Breach can lead to tenant compensation and enforcement by the local housing authority.
Compliance Score
A 0-100 score LetCompliance assigns to each property based on how up-to-date its safety certificates and tenancy documents are. 100 means Gas Safety, EICR, EPC, deposit protection and Right to Rent are all current; the score drops as deadlines approach and is recalculated daily.