All Other Applicants | Documents Not Provided
As a last resort, if the applicant cannot provide the required acceptable documents, you must use the Home Office Landlord Checking Service to confirm their right to rent and establish a statutory excuse. You should delay entering into a tenancy agreement until you have received a response from the Landlord Checking Service.
Step 1
Request right to rent check
You can request a Home Office right to rent check by clicking the button below and completing the online form. The Landlord Checking Service will respond to your request with a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response within two working days.
This will only be sent to you by the Landlord Checking Service and will contain a unique reference number. The information provided by the Landlord Checking Service will clearly set out whether a follow-up check will be required, and if so, when.
Step 2
Check response
If a ‘yes’ response is received from the Landlord Checking Service, you will receive a Positive Right to Rent Notice. The statutory excuse will last for 12 months from the date specified and you will then need to make a further check before the statutory excuse expires.
If a ‘no’ response is received from the Landlord Checking Service, you will receive a Negative Right to Rent Notice. This will inform you that the person does not have the right to rent, and if you rent to this person you will not have a statutory excuse and may be liable for a penalty or be committing a criminal offence.
If the Landlord Checking Service has not considered your request within two working days, an automated response will be sent to you informing you that you can let the property to the prospective tenant. You will have an automatic statutory excuse, from the date of the Landlord Checking Service’s response. The statutory excuse will last for 12 months, at which time you will need to carry out a further check to maintain your statutory excuse.
If in a follow-up check, the Landlord Checking Service informs you that your tenant no longer has a right to rent, by way of a ‘no’ response, you must make a report to the Home Office in order to maintain a statutory excuse. If you do not do this, your statutory excuse will expire.
Step 3
Retain evidence of response
You must retain the Landlord Checking Service response in order for you to avoid a penalty.
You should store this securely (electronically or in hardcopy) for the duration of the tenancy agreement and for one year after the tenancy has come to an end. The file must then be securely destroyed.