Taking a Lodger into your Council Home

Right to rent

All private landlords, including anyone subletting or taking in lodgers, are required to carry out mandated checked on all new tenants to make sure they have the right to rent property in England.

Landlords are required to check identity documents for all new tenants and take copies. The Government has worked closely with housing and homelessness charities to design a document list which can help in different circumstances such as for people do not have identity documents like a passport.

The roll-out of Right to Rent has been informed by input from a panel of experts from -

  • trade bodies
  • local authorities
  • housing charities
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission

This has been backed up by stakeholder events with landlords and agents.

These are resources available to help landlords comply with the new rules, including an online checking aid which landlords can use to guide them through the process and to request a check on anyone who has an outstanding case with the Home Office.