Have You Completed A Check On Your Tenant?
From 1 February 2016, all landlords, including those renting a room to a lodger, have to ensure their tenants have a legal right to live in the UK.
The Code of Practice indicates that landlords should check the validity of their tenant’s documents in their physical presence, or via a live video link. However, the landlord must be in possession of the individual’s original documents.
The landlord must check that:
- Photographs and dates of birth are consistent across documents and with the person’s appearance in order to detect impersonation;
- Expiry dates for leave have not passed;
- The documents appear genuine, show no signs of being tampered with and belong to the holder;
- The reasons for any different names across documents, i.e. marriage certificates, are to be photocopied and retained.
Landlords are requested to make clear copies of each document in a format which cannot be altered, and retain them noting the date that the check was made.
Landlords are able to outsource this task to an Agent, who will then be responsible for ensuring this is done!
Please be aware that if this isn’t done, you could be fined up to £3,000.
For more information, please contact us or view the code here.
Please note: This article is a commentary on general principles and should not be interpreted as advice for your specific situation.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
